Dear students (and parents), 

If you're planning to head out of town, out of state, or even out of country this summer, why not combine fun with learning? 

Take a short course in the geology, geography, or ecosystem of a new environment:  step into the past to learn about a little known piece of history; get an insider's look at manufacturing your favorite product; discover ways to live a greener life.  There are limitless possibilities to make this a summer to remember!

Here are some ideas to help get you started on your journey of discovery.

TOUR A FACTORY

 From automobiles to art glass to breakfast cereal- find out what goes on behind the scenes in manufacturing.  Whether you travel abroad or find a factory close to home, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the skill of dedicated workers and artists across the globe.

Here are a few recommended tours:

• "Made in Germany"
• If you're into pianos, chocolate, beer, champagne, or glass, there are plenty of Cool Factory Tools in Europe to actually see it made.
• For the Volkswagen Enthusiasts: Take the Tour of the Transparent Factory  
• Harley-Davidson Factory Tours in four locations in the U.S.
• Glassblowing Factory Tour, Murano, Italy
• Seattle Glassblowing

VISIT A SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FARM (or become a volunteer!)

Get an up-close look at Green living by taking a tour of a sustainable energy farm or visit a sustainable living center. Learn about low energy lights, wind turbines, solar water heating, how to produce bio-diesel from waste vegetable oil for cars, organic agriculture, and much more.

Check out these sites (just to give you an idea):

• Sustainable Energy Projects to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings and communities.
• One Island Sustainable Living to gain exciting agriculture based experiences.
• Codrington Wind Farm Tours, largest wind farm in Victoria

EXLORE A NATIONAL MONUMENT

Yellowstone National Park - Montana, Idaho, Wyoming

America's first national park, Yellowstone offers some of the world's most extraordinary geysers and hot springs, and you'll be greeted by wildlife including grizzly bears, wolves, bison, and elk. 

Yosemite National Park - California

Known for its mountains, waterfalls, deep valleys, grand meadows, and ancient giant sequoias.

Great Smoky Mountain National Park - North Carolina, Tennessee

Rich in Southern Appalachian history.  The mountains have a human history spanning thousands of years - from the prehistoric Paleo Indians to early European settlers in the 1800's to loggers and Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees in the 20^th century.

Colonial National Historical Park - Virginia

The park includes the Colonial Parkway, linking the three points of Virginia's historic triangle: Jamestown, Yorktown, and the historic district of colonial Williamsburg.

Gulf Islands National Seashore - Florida, Mississippi

Offers natural and historic resources along the Gulf of Mexico Barrier Islands.  The Florida portion of the seashore features offshore islands with white sand beaches, and historic fortifications.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area - Arizona

Home to thousands of desert plants and animals, adapted to survive in an extreme climate where rain is scarce and temperatures sizzle.

Glacier National Park - Montana

Over a million acres of forests, alpine meadows, lakes, rugged peaks, and glacial-carved valleys in the Northern Rocky Mountains.  Home to over 70 species of mammals and 260 species of birds.

Cape Krusenstern National Monument - Alaska

North of the Arctic Circle, stretching 70 miles along the Chukchi Sea Shoreline.  Beach ridges provide evidence of 5000 years of human activity.  Migratory birds, musk oxen, moose and caribou abound.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park - New Jersey

Imagine life without music, movies, or light.  Modern life began at the turn of the century in West Orange, New Jersey.  The laboratory and home of Thomas Edison are stopped in time on the grounds of this park, and continue to teach.

 About Us

Wan Chen, founder of IvyClimbing.Com (爬藤) is a nationally recognized independent college counselor. She brings insight, knowledge, and enthusiasm to the admissions process. She gained first-hand admissions experience from Stanford Business School and Santa Clara Engineering School. With a BA and MA in English, and an admissions certificate from Harvard Admissions Institute, she enjoys using her knowledge and experience to help students achieve their goals.

Joy Rewick is an editor and writing coach with over 35 years of experience in communications. She has worked in both the private and public sectors, including 20 years at Stanford University where she was the founder and editor of a campus-wide newsletter and taught a course on Writing for the Web. Joy brings tremendous enthusiasm and commitment to the students she works with at IvyClimbing, and enjoys helping them make their college dreams come true. 

Leslie Vasquez received a B.A. in psychology and communication studies from UCSB and M.A. in Counseling from Santa Clara University. She worked as a recruiter for an aerospace company where she coordinated the college summer hire and cooperative education programs, and as a manager and instructor for a test preparation center. In her recent position at a nonprofit, she developed and implemented mentoring, training and support programs for parents, children and teens. Leslie is excited to join the team at IvyClimbing!