Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide

If your child is fascinated by subjects like philosophy, literature, religion, art, music, history and language, there are a multitude of online, school-based, and extramural programs and classes available. These activities provide fantastic opportunities for in-depth study and contest opportunities. If your community lacks resources in the Humanities, consider having her create a club or team to share ideas, work on projects and participate in competitions with like-minded individuals. Sometimes a club can affiliate with a national organization that encourages the study of a specific humanities subject (e.g., the National History Club). A club can also bring together children with a common interest to study for competitions (e.g., U.S. Geography Olympiad team; North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad) or for group discussions (e.g., a book club or a language club). Founding a club also provides an opportunity for a child to gain and demonstrate important leadership skills.

Outside of school, selective academic summer camps offer many interesting and high level humanity-related courses. Other options for your child to look into include: summer immersion programs (language); expedition programs (anthropology; archeology), lab opportunities (archeology), museum and gallery internships (art history). For a child who likes contests, there are national exams and contests, some of which may be offered by your child’s school (e.g., The National French Contest; the National Latin Exam; the National Mythology Exam). If getting published sounds like a worthwhile goal to your child, encourage her to explore journalism and media programs.

If your child is a budding news reporter or journalist, there are a wide array of school-based and extramural programs to help him develop the important skills for journalism, including reporting, writing, photography, audio and television production, and social media. Writing for a school newspaper is a great way to gain experience in a community of like-minded peers. If there is no school-based paper or similar activity, encourage your child to start a newspaper or to create his own blog. Specialty camps, including selective ones sponsored by undergraduate journalism programs, offer classes in all aspects of journalism including print, digital, social media and broadcasting. For a child who likes contests, there are journalism and writing competitions that will give participants a reason to sharpen their skills for a chance to win prizes and awards.

If your child is interested in news production or broadcasting, have him check out school or community public access radio or tv broadcasting opportunities. Some community access TV stations and professional stations will take student interns or volunteers. Many community colleges offer TV production and broadcasting classes. There’s also an array of specialty broadcasting summer camps, including some that focus on sports broadcasting, while others teach the real-world skill set necessary to thrive in broadcast TV, cable, and internet news.

If your child aspires to run for president one day, loves to take charge of things or enjoys some verbal sparring, consider activities and classes in government, politics and debate. In the beginning, encourage your child to run for student counsel or to start a new school club where he can build leadership skills. There are also a wide array of specialty summer programs that offer courses in politics, current affairs, history and leadership. A motivated, older child might apply for a government internship in her home state, or to work as a congressional page. Volunteer positions with government institutions or museums can help a child sharpen leadership and public speaking skills.

Joining a school speech and debate team is a great way for a child to learn oratory and research skills and as a jumping off point to compete in higher level state and national tournaments. Taken to the highest level, there are intensive summer debate training camps which offer rigorous debate preparation classes and the chance to spar with top debaters.

If your child is interested in foreign languages or international relations, encourage her to join her school’s Model United Nations program. She’ll have the opportunity to interact with peers, hone skills in diplomacy and negotiation, and participate in local through international conferences. Encourage a child who is curious about international affairs to attend a foreign language camp or any of the prestigious international relations/diplomacy camps, many of which are sponsored by selective universities and government groups. An overseas community service trip can provide an opportunity for your child to engage in genuine cultural immersion, meaningful volunteer work, and a real-world international experience.