Our Philosophy

Our summer sessions are open to girls entering 7th through 11th grades. Course work is age and aptitude appropriate. The learning environment is structured around small class sizes, individual attention, and total immersion in the subject, ensuring that each student makes the most of her day. We balance strong academics in the first half of the day with diverse activities and relaxation in the afternoon and evening.

Upon application to the program, each student selects one course on which to focus for the two-week session. We take learning seriously and devote a lot of energy and creativity to class work – we make it fun, too! Students participate in project-based learning and spend an ample amount of time outside of the traditional classroom. Classes in different subject areas may collaborate on projects. For example, the Fine Arts teacher may spend an afternoon leading the French class in a project on French Impressionism; the Performing Arts class may improvise as jury and witness in a Mock Trial; or Creative Writing may collaborate with Fine Arts on a poetry exercise that uses anything except pen and paper.

Additionally, teachers bring their own strengths to the program each year. They spend a lot of time reviewing and developing their curriculum before the summer begins. On the first day of class, they share their background and interests with the students, and ask their students to share the same with them. In this way, our teachers can further tailor the lessons to their students’ interests, strengths and needs.

It is not necessary to supply a transcript, teacher recommendation, or essays to enroll in GirlSummer. However, we always encourage students with particular talents to bring their tools with them. Girls often bring musical instruments, journals and stories, sketchbooks, or other work that inspires them. Teachers do not assign homework or give grades. Our lessons are designed to challenge students in a positive way without overwhelming them. We send our summer students back to school refreshed and ready to learn!

Academic Tracks

Each GirlSummer residential session begins on a Sunday and ends on a Friday. Girls choose one track to focus on for the entire session. We’ve added three new courses for 2008! This summer, we are offering:

Sample Daily Schedule