TeenLife Boston's 2008 Guide to Summer Programs highlights the range of opportunities available to middle and high school students.  The Guide presents an overview  of 370+ programs that focus on eight different areas of interest.  These programs are also listed alphabetically by organization and location and by start dates in June, July, and August.

 

Academic Programs provide opportunities for students to pursue areas of intellectual interest such as Ethics, Jewish Studies, and Biotechnology.  Some courses help individuals preview the college experience and possibly earn college credit for the academic work they have completed.  Others help students strengthen their knowledge in specific subject areas.  Some programs support students with learning issues to develop compensatory skills.  These programs run from a few days to three, four, or eight weeks and can cost a few hundred dollars or several thousand depending on the length and intensity of the program.

 

Some individuals benefit from pursuing a very different direction in the summer.  Adventure/Trip Programs can include traveling to Boston to explore the North End or the Public Library or the Mayor's Office.  They can also be daylong or overnight trips to Maine to go white water rafting, rock climbing, or canoeing.  Some sessions last for one or two weeks, and campers can elect to participate in more than one session.  Costs vary with the length and scope of the program and range from $1000 to approximately $2400 a session.

 

Counselor-in-Training and Leadership Training Programs offer teenagers the opportunity to develop their leadership skills. Participants can expect to learn leadership and problem solving skills and effective ways to build peer relationships with the expectation that they will eventually take some responsibility for what goes on at camp.  Counselors-in-Training are supervised by an adult on the staff.  Most of these programs require a significant commitment that can be from a week to as much as eight weeks.  Programs often pay their leaders-in-training a stipend, the amount dependent upon the individual's past experience; other programs charge from several hundred dollars to over $1000 for each session. These programs usually have some of the earliest deadlines and the fewest spots so applying early is important.

 

More traditional Day Camps are geared to both middle and high school students.  Programs usually offer multiple week sessions and range in price from a few hundred dollars to over a $1000 depending on the length of the session.  Campers can participate in a range of activities that might include swimming, golf, soccer, fencing, snorkeling, and sport fitness.  Day Camps often provide the starting point for future participation in more specialized summer programs.  Some individuals elect to stay with a particular camp for many years and then become a Counselor-in-Training.

 

Special Interest Camps allow students to explore new and often unusual areas that are not readily available during the school year.  Programs range from glass blowing to go-kart racing to marine biology to video production to circus performing.  These camps can run for one day or several weeks.  Some sessions offer overnight experiences.  Costs once again vary with the length of the session.  Special Interest Programs are for individuals who want to enhance their knowledge in a particular area and also for those who want to take a risk and learn an entirely new skill. 

 

Sports Programs make up some of the more traditional summer experiences.  These programs are organized at various ability levels.  They are often single sex but may also be coed and can be day or overnight opportunities.  They are often held at private secondary schools or on college campuses.  Sessions run from one week to the option of participating in multiple weeks.  Costs vary but range from free programs to those costing several thousand dollars.  These camps provide the students with the chance to improve their skill levels so that they might be able to make a competitive team or do better on one on which they are currently a member.  In addition, these programs offer excellent ways for teens to maintain a fitness-training schedule over the summer months.

 

Programs in the Arts are yet another way for students to enhance their current skills or to develop new ones.  The Guide highlights more than 50 programs that focus on either the visual or performing arts.  Sessions again vary from one to several weeks and range in price from several hundred to several thousand dollars for those programs that are longer in length and offer mastery of skills.  Often these camps end with a concert, recital, or art show to showcase what the students have accomplished.

 

Many summer programs offer extended sessions in the afternoons for families who need a later pick up time.  Some provide meals for students while others ask families to pack a lunch.  Most offer financial aid to help offset some of the costs.  Some of the added expenses for families can be sports equipment or possibly other types of supplies depending on the nature of the program.  Some camps will provide bus transportation to and from the program for an additional fee.  There might also be added costs for special field trips that are offered by the camp. These extras obviously increase the total cost of the program.  It is important to look carefully at each of these areas when considering what experience is best suited to your child and your family.  It is the hope of TeenLife Boston that the Guide to Summer Programs will provide valuable information to help you make these decisions.

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