Summer 2020 Online Enrichment Programs

Summer is a time for sunscreen, family vacations, sleeping in, BBQs, relishing in the time away from school, and of course, summer camp. While some of that still remains (please wear sunscreen!), the sense of freedom that we so often feel at the end of the school year has changed in 2020. Many of us have been away from school for some months now, in a cycle of e-learning, juggling responsibilities at home, longing for the routine of school, and missing our friends. Thankfully, summer camp still persists! With study groups switched out for shared screens, and collaborative performances and competitions traded in for virtual versions of the same—summer programs may look different in 2020.

Below we’ve highlighted a handful of our partner schools that are adapting to the needs of their communities with creative and innovative takes on summer camp. We hope that through them you can find some inspiration!

Shore Country Day School – Beverly, MA
The TI Why: Online and open to the public at an approachable price, the Summer Shore Program is a highly individualized academic enrichment program that capitalizes on the expertise of Shore faculty. This is a two-week program focusing on core subject areas for grades 1-9, designed to help not only Shore students, but also public school students seeking to fill learning gaps from their Spring 2020 terms due to disruptions from COVID-19.

Congressional School – Falls Church, VA
The TI Why: The Summer Academy at Congressional School is a special opportunity to participate in intensive remote academic enrichment courses, and even earn high school credit. The program seeks to help families and students stay on track throughout the summer, and even get ahead for when they return to school in the Fall. Each enrichment class takes place over two weeks, giving students the ability to tailor their learning.

Mount Tamalpais School – Mill Valley, CA
The TI Why: With a plethora of unique summer courses, such as Intro to Comedy Writing, Kitchen Chemistry, Monologue Master Class, Harry Potter Book Club, and the Age of Sail, the MTS Summer Academy is sure to keep summer boredom at bay. Courses are completely online, open to both MTS and non-MTS students, and are available for students in rising grades 3-9 at different intervals throughout the summer.

Cathedral School for Boys – San Francisco, CA
The TI Why: A true hybrid in many ways, this school for boys is offering a virtual summer camp for boys and girls. Brain Works is comprised of both synchronous and asynchronous classes that are academically-minded but still fun! The program seeks to weave together challenging classes with a more traditional summer camp vibe, including scavenger hunts and a daily campfire for the entire camp to come together to share learnings, dance, sing songs, and participate in group activities and games.

Phillips Brooks School – Menlo Park, CA
The TI Why: Truly thinking outside the proverbial box, PBS has put some of their summer classes INSIDE a box with their Camp-in-a-Box options, which aim to limit screen time and intrigue curious students with classes like Ocean Exploration and Collage. Students that sign up for Summer@PBS-in-a-Box will receive a kit designed by PBS faculty and staff. The box includes pre-recorded instructional videos and the materials for five one-hour-long independent activities, such as sculpture and canopy exploration.

Advent School – Boston, MA
The TI Why: Specifically designed for the problem-solving mind, Advent’s summer program offerings are engineered to keep creativity flowing from afar. Design at Advent seeks to encourage students to tap into their inner designer, builder, and tinkerer. Teachers and students will be working together to transform their own homes into makerspaces. Available for students between the ages of 5 and 12, the program is organized into three two-week sessions.