Summer is a great time for gifted children to explore opportunities outside of school to do things that get them excited and allow them to pursue their own special interests.
There are many alternatives to choose from when deciding what kind of program you want for your children. There are community camps, academic programs and residential camps.
There are opportunities to develop musical skills. There are food preparation programs for aspiring young chefs. Whatever skills or interests your children have, you can find a summer program to match.
Camps offer different challenges
Camps provide active learning experiences that involve gifted children, helping them grow socially as well as academically. The camps provide physical and emotional safety and are well staffed to effectively support the number of children accepted into the camp program.
If the camps are academically oriented, they can provide challenging experiences with real-world problems and applications and offer projects that stimulate higher-level thinking than in the traditional classroom environment.
Camps often have counselors who are available to work with children who have emotional needs or have other problems making friends or participating in activities.
Activities are designed to be flexible and managed at an appropriate level and pace, without undue pressure or time constraints.
Staff members are well trained to be aware of the different needs of gifted children, to be able to challenge them as well as support them and manage any difficult situations.
Residential Summer Programs
There are residential summer programs located throughout the United States. For example, Huntsville, Alabama has a Space Camp for children interested in space exploration, aviation or aerodynamics. The camp is held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville.
The University of California Berkeley offers an Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) of summer classes for highly motivated young students. The ATDP program includes advancement and enrichment classes for elementary and secondary school students.
For pre-college students, Stanford University offers a Medical Youth Science Program. It lasts five weeks and is a residential enrichment program focused on science and medicine that is open to underrepresented minority and low-income high school sophomores and juniors who live in the area.
Stanford also offers a Youth Orchestra experience in its Bing Hall that includes academic workshops, music theory, musicology, and music technology.
For students interested in archaeology, they can go to the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center where they can be part of an ongoing research project. They can work alongside professional archaeologists and learn excavation techniques. They get to work at real excavation sites and in labs.
For students interested in marine life, they can attend Seacamp, a non-profit educational facility in the Florida Keys. Here they can experience SCUBA, sailing, board sailing, and arts & crafts related to marine life.
For students who share an appreciation for the arts, there are many camps, like the Usdan Summer Camps in New York or the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. In these camps, students experience a range of activities in the arts, from music, dance, and art, to writing and drama/theater.
Academic Enrichment Programs
Many outstanding colleges throughout the country offer programs and courses for gifted and talented children. Courses are usually at least two weeks in length and offer college credits. They are available to non-residents and offer a choice of subjects and classes within each program.
Here are some of the top-rated academic enrichment programs in the U.S.
Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island and is the seventh oldest college in the country. Advanced and talented high school students all over the world come to Brown for pre-college summer enrichment programs. They can choose from hundreds of courses and when outside of class, get to experience college life with fellow students and the new friends they make.
Harvard University has a summer pre-college program, a two-week residential experience offering 50 non-credit courses that give students a head-start on college academics.
The school also offers a seven-week Secondary School Program that enables students to attend class for credit alongside college students.
As mentioned above, Stanford University has much to offer for gifted and talented children. During the summer, students can take up to five courses from among the 145 offered. In addition to enjoying the university’s diversity and cultural richness, students have academic help from free tutors, academic skills coaches, and academic advisors.
It’s not just colleges and universities that provide summer opportunities for the gifted. There are many independent educational organizations that offer similar chances to explore and learn more on virtually any topic of interest.
The YouthLink STEM Academy in South Carolina is one example of a specialized school. It combines academic and social interaction in focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math subjects. The school offers a summer enrichment program and a Saturday program that enables students to collaborate using the latest technology to communicate and analyze STEM information.
Courses include Coding, Robotics, LEGO League, Redbird Mathematics, KNEX Education, Problem-Based Learning (PBL), and Hands-On Science Experiments.
Family camps
Gifted kids – like all kids – look to the summer with anticipation of fun and relaxation. They may want to further their education or interest in some field by attending a camp or summer program. But there are other approaches to summer, too, that are also beneficial.
Many years ago, there were no cell phones and few video games. Children got together with or without parents and went to someone’s backyard pool, or they made up games with their friends. They rode bicycles together. They built forts in the woods or climbed into tree houses. They used their imaginations.
Parents can give their children the camp experience by creating their own family camp. They can run their camp on weekends or in the evenings. The camp should address their child’s interest and provide activities that will support that interest.
Family camps have to be planned, and any needed supplies have to be purchased and set up. Evening meals can be incorporated into the camp theme. Friends can be invited. A family camp can bring excitement and motivation to learn to gifted children in a friendly environment, making summer a great experience and memory.
