Summer programs far & wide - Aspen Country Day School

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Summer programs far & wide

January 2, 2023

At this time of year many families are looking for interesting summer programs, so we’re sharing a few that we’ve heard about from friends at other schools. Aspen Country Day School students often love getting out into the big world, experiencing other campuses and destinations, and trying new activities and programs. Of course there are PLENTY of options right here in the Roaring Fork Valley, in addition to those below. On a snowy day, have fun daydreaming of summer!

“Do what you love all summer” – that’s the motto of Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan, offering creative writing, dance, film, music, theatre, visual arts. Six-week programs are available for ALL age groups, four-week sessions are available for grades 3-6, three week sessions are available for grades 6-12, two-week sessions are available to grades 3-6, and one-week “Intensive” programs are available for grades 9-12. ACDS students are offered a fee waiver: on the application, enter Aspen2023.
Deerfield Academy‘s summer program, called Experimentory, is for current Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders. Try classes like “Creative Engineering and Problem Solving,” “Deerfield in 3-D: Architecture & Design,” and “All the World’s a Stage: Acting Foundations.” An amazing lineup on a classic campus July 5-23. More info here.
“Small country, big summer.” Enjoy hiking and biking or reading and making music? Consider LAS Summer in Switzerland. With experienced counselors, students are grouped by age (9-12 and 13-16) to guarantee that activities are age appropriate, and minimal cell phone use means students spend less time online and more time enjoying face-to-face fun. Mornings, students choose one of four options (Language Acquisition, Leadership Courses, Athletics, or Enrichment. After lunch, students participate in a club, and in the late afternoon they join an activity. More info here.

Academic enrichment at Choate Rosemary Hall

At Choate Rosemary Hall, a boarding school in Connecticut, you can get a taste of boarding school life while choosing from more than 100 courses in the academic enrichment program. There are also Middle School-specific programs with courses such as Puzzles and Logic, Model UN, Science of the Brain, and more. There are even Young Artists and Summer Music Festival offerings. Rolling admissions is open now at https://www.choate.edu/summer

A Dominican Republic service trip with Aspen Middle School teacher Annie Thompson

A Dominican Republic service trip with local friends and chaperones led by teacher Annie Thompson from Aspen Middle School is coming up in June. Here’s a description:

Dive into island life in the Dominican Republic, from Santo Domingo to the central mountains to the northern coast. You’ll experience the vibrant local heritage as you explore historical museums and celebrate traditional customs with locals. While you become immersed in the culture, you’ll journey deep into the central and northern regions for a few days where you’ll work together with community members to address environmental, conservation and education challenges through a series of small service projects.For more, click here or reach out to Annie Thompson, athompson@aspenk12.net

A boarding school experience at Hawaii’s ‘Iolani School

In Hawaii, ‘Iolani School‘s summer residential program has a holistic approach that offers 12- to 16-year-old students the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning through classes designed for review and enrichment, extracurricular activities, and exciting field trips around O‘ahu. More info here: https://www.iolani.org/summer/residential-programs/how-to-apply

Hockey or soccer at New Hampton School

At New Hampton School in central New Hampshire, check out these sports offerings:

Soccer camp: for ages 9-18

Elite Hockey Camps: for boys, girls, and goalies

Academic programs, sports camps, even Bolshoi ballet: summer at Loomis Chaffee

At Loomis Chaffee School in Connecticut, a flagship Enrichment Program is for intellectually curious students entering grades 7-10. Combine engaging academics with a fun and active social experience. Try out a boarding school environment, explore familiar or new subject matter in greater depth, prepare for the upcoming school year, and make new friends from around the world.

Loomis Chaffee will host several internationally-recognized sports camps in summer 2023 including the Rafa Nadal Academy and the Arsenal Soccer Camp. In addition, many Loomis coaches will offer their own camps. And the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in Connecticut (BBASI CT) provides expert training for serious ballet students (ages 9–15) through unique instruction by leading teachers from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Residential and day program options are available.

More at https://www.loomischaffee.org/summer

Lawrenceville, New Jersey: residential, day, or virtual sessions

Lawrenceville Summer Scholars is a 3-week program for students entering grades 6-9. Choose the residential, day, or virtual option. Programs run from July 10-28. Scholars will choose four classes from a list of over 80 incredible offerings including Forensic Science, Painting, SSAT prep, Debate, Creative Writing, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Digital Media Production, World Religions, Psychology and Ethics, Entrepreneurship, Investments, and Financial Literacy, and much more.
Lawrenceville’s classic House system is infused into everything our Scholars do, including competing for the famous House Cup. Virtual Scholars will be enrolled in one STEAM Class and one Humanities (critical reading, writing, discussion, exploration, etc.) class during which they will complete coursework with peers from across the country and around the world. More info here. 

Tabor Academy: day camps by the sea

Tabor Academy in Massachusetts offers a variety of programs during the summer! Whether children want to explore new sports, enrichment, the arts, or discover and enhance individual passions and interests, there is something for everyone at Tabor. Registration is open now for the following programs.

Tabor Summer Camp is for children ages 6-15 with activity options in the arts, athletics, and enrichment that give young people the opportunity to develop their full potential as individuals. ACA Accredited

Tabor Marine Science Camp is a day camp for children entering grades 8 to 12 that immerses campers in an ocean environment for the purpose of exploration, education, and the development of global responsibility.

In addition to Tabor Summer Camp and Marine Science Camp, Tabor offers a variety of other programs during the summer. Program and registration information for additional offerings will be available on January 15 at www.taboracademy.org/community/summer-programs.

Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania has programs in basketball, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, robotics, STEM, theatre, writing, and an adventure camp (kayaking, biking, rafting, games, etc.) More at mercersburg.edu/summer

For musicians ages 9-18: Walden (at Dublin School, NH)

The Walden School Young Musicians Program provides an unparalleled creative summer experience for musically inclined students ages 9 to 18. Part school, part camp, and part festival, the program convenes each summer for five weeks in the beautiful Monadnock region in Dublin, New Hampshire. Through rigorous and innovative daily instruction, students hone their musical and creative skills within a supportive community of like-minded peers and mentors, with a goal of improvising and composing original works. More info here: https://waldenschool.org/young-musicians-program/

Leadership and programs just for girls: Miss Porter’s School

At Miss Porter’s School in Connecticut, there is an auxiliary hub called the Porter’s Center for Global Leadership. PCGL provides summer and academic year virtual programs for middle and high school girls, giving them the tools they need to be empowered to learn, to collaborate, to lead, and to create innovative solutions to pressing global issues. Here is the direct link for Porter’s Middle School Summer Programs. The summer program for middle schoolers offers two sessions a week for three weeks running July 9 – 29, 2023.

Bishop’s College School in Canada offers a French as a Second Language camp. With a 60-year track record, this program runs July 1-29.

Got equestrian? Riding camps at Ethel Walker campus in Connecticut

The Ethel Walker School’s Summer Riding Experience is an extension of the school’s renowned equestrian program. The camp consists of daily riding sessions complemented with activities that include horse care, working with farriers and veterinarians, equine science, and general equestrian knowledge.

More for young riders: equestrian camp in Virginia June 26-July 1

Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Virginia offers a week-long equestrian residential camp this summer. This program is designed to further a girl’s riding skills while also providing her with knowledge of fundamental horsemanship. Riders receive mounted instruction based on the tenets of hunter seat equitation and horsemanship seminars on topics such as bandaging, braiding, clipping, nutrition, show prep, and the like.

Open to riders preparing to enter the 8th-11th grade and who are interested in exploring attending Foxcroft School as a student during their high school years, this program is designed for riders who have prior experience riding at a level of walk-trot-canter or above.

Even polo: Garrison Forest School in Maryland

Passionate about riding, polo, or performing arts? Garrison Forest School’s two-week residential experience programs allow girls to to fully engage in what they love while advancing knowledge and skills. Outside of the hands-on academic day, enjoy evening and weekend social activities and trips.  Some 2023 offerings are Riding, Polo, Performing Arts. Dates are July 9-21. For ages 11-17. More info here. 

Hockey, figure skating, golf, music: Shattuck St. Mary’s

On the campus in Minnesota, Shattuck St. Mary’s School has many summer programs. Certainly best known for its hockey camps, this school also hosts golf, figure skating, and even a music academy. More info here. 

Culver Academies, Indiana: woodcraft camp and more

Founded in 1902, Culver Summer Schools and Camps is a fun- filled, naturally beautiful 1,800-acre setting where over 1,400 young people from around the world, ages 7-17, develop positive self-esteem through accomplishment and self discipline. It is a high challenge-high support environment for learning leadership skills that improve personal confidence.

In addition to enriching academic programs each summer, there’s a “Woodcraft” program on a 127-acre campus adjacent to the main Culver campus with A-frame wood cabins, separate dining facility, craft and class cabins, observatory, and a unique Native American Lore program. More than 65 instructional electives area offered, including sailing, water skiing, sports, arts and crafts, music, ice skating, Native American crafts and dance, introduction to aviation, and many more.  Info here. 

Hawaii Prep: day camps and “academy” immersion

At Hawaii Preparatory Academy, students 11 and up can explore interests in four-week academies for: Young Authors; Arts; STEM; Astronomy; and Marine Life/Environment. Spending time in Hawaii with younger children this summer? They can attend a weekly day camps that run throughout June and July. More info here. 

Summer at Hotchkiss School
Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, Connecticut has an enriching series of programs they call Summer Portals. These run July 2 to 15, 2023 and July 16 to 30, 2023. Students typically enroll in two courses, one course per session, and stay for the entirety of the four-week program, though students may elect to participate in a single two-week session. Each day students are immersed in their academic course after which they enjoy a range of afternoon and evening activities such as intramural soccer, hiking, swimming or bonfires at Fairfield Farm. The 800-acre campus serves as both classroom and playground for Summer Portals students. Full info here. https://www.hotchkiss.org/our-school/summer-programs
Rowing at St. Andrew’s, Delaware
Want to get into rowing? Here’s a top camp for girls from Ready Set Row. Train for three weeks on the campus at St. Andrew’s School in Delaware from June 17- July 16, then spend the last weekend competing at the Summer National Championship. Open to ages 13 and up with some rowing experience; join the mailing list to get more info about coming “Foundations” camp for entry-level rowers.
Cushing Academy summer enrichment
Cushing Academy in Massachusetts has a variety of summer enrichment programs; students come from all over for a variety of classes, activities, sports, and a taste of boarding school life.