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Summer Opportunities

APS Summer School offered enrichment opportunities before the pandemic. Currently, Summer School is only open to students recommended for skill strengthening. Please check the Summer School pages for more information.


Here are some other opportunities for summer enrichment:

VDOE Summer Residential Governor’s Schools

Summer Residential Governor’s Schools provide high school juniors and seniors with intensive educational experiences in visual and performing arts; humanities; mathematics, science, and technology; or through mentorships in marine science, or engineering.

Applications are available at the beginning of October for current 10th and 11th grade students who are identified gifted in the following areas:

    • Academics (January deadline for applications)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (visual arts, vocal and instrumental music, theatre, and/or dance and (November deadline for applications)
    • World Language Academics (November deadline for applications)

For more information, please contact the Advanced Academics Coach at the high school your student attends.

Explore Virtual Virginia

    • Available courses in Computer Science, English, Health & PE, History and Social Sciences, Mathematics, Science, and World Languages
    • Talk with the school counseling office at your child’s school to be sure you are able to receive credit for the course you would like to take
    • Some may not be accepted for high school credit

Online Summer Programs for enrichment (not for high school credit)

Compiled by Virginia Department of Education’s (VDOE) gifted education specialist, this list includes opportunities within and outside of Virginia. Please note: Not all listed programs are specifically structured for gifted students. Some programs may have a cost associated with participation. Some programs may offer scholarships. Reference within this document to any specific commercial or non-commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Arlington Public Schools.

Online Program Grade Level Program Description
COLLEGE PREP

University of MD

Terp Young Scholars-Online

Rising
9th – 12th grades
Terp Young Scholars-Online delivers an academic experience that is at the forefront of theory, thought,and technology. Scholars attend class, learn about career opportunities, study, work on projects, prepare for exams, and interact with their peers in a virtual academic setting. Classes meet July 10-28, 2023 with courses offered in more than 20 areas of study from African American to Women’s Studies; tuition depends on many factors.
Johns Hopkins University
HOP Online
Rising 9th – 12th grades HOP Online and join fellow students and faculty in these 2-week asynchronous programs available over three sessions this summer. Interactive and flexibly designed to meet today’s needs, you can select one or a combination of these programs across the sessions. While you are welcome to select more than one online program per session, each is designed so that students committing about 15-17 hours-per-week are able to complete that program.
Duke Summer Session Online Rising 9th – 12th grades Duke Summer Session Online
Join other academically motivated students this summer in Duke Summer Session Online. Our two-week certificate courses will immerse you in an online experience where you can build your skills, discover your passions, and be exposed to fields that will equip you to help solve today’s most pressing challenges. Each two-week, online course includes a series of synchronous and asynchronous sessions, Monday – Friday, with meeting times to fit your busy schedule.
College Transitions Rising 9th – 12th grades Top Online Programs for High School Students
ARTS
Educational Theatre Company PreK-12 Theatre & Film Camps in Arlington
Encore Stage & Studio Ages 3-15 Encore Stage & Studio is a national leader in theater by and for young people. We engage kids on both sides of the curtain, meeting them at their level to help them learn, grow and succeed. Encore provides inclusive opportunities for a diverse community of future thinkers, creators, and leaders.
Writopia Creative Writing Ages 9 – 16 Writers choose Graphic Novel, Screenwriting, Sketch Comedy, Worldbuilding, Songwriting, Musical Theater, Sci-fi/Fantasy, Mystery, Horror, Flash Fiction, Spoken Word Poetry, and more!Multiple sessions begin on June 8th and continue throughout the summer.
New York Film Academy

Kids Programs: Ages 10-13

Teens Programs: Ages 14-17

New York Film Academy offers Online Summer Camps and Online After School & Weekend Workshops for teens and kids, providing an active, creative learning experience where students have the ability to interact with instructors and classmates from all around the world, from home, while also creating original work.Depending on the age of child, the options are as follows: filmmaking, acting for film, music theatre, photography, 3D animation, screenwriting, broadcast journalism and game design
Fashion Institute of Technology
SUNY
Middle School (grades 7-9) and High School (grades 9-12) Experience the cultural vibrancy of FIT and NYC while choosing from over 130 long and short-term courses in art, fashion, merchandising, international marketing, photography, interior design,
film and media and more…
Skychief Narrative & Branded Filmmaking Middle School and High School Students pick from topics such as filmmaking, photography, music videos
POLITICS

American Civil Liberties Union

ACLU Summer Advocacy Camp

Ages 15-18
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Junior Achievement Rising 9th – 12th grade Over the course of five days, high school students are challenged to design ready-to-launch, socially-conscious businesses
STEM
National Museum of Mathematics PreK-12 Engaging and fun online programs and virtual field trips
June- August https://momath.org/upcoming-events/
National Museum of Mathematics Transformations Camp Grades 1 – 9 Students will experience the richness of mathematics with America’s only museum dedicated to math. Through interactive education sessions, creative projects, and supervised independent activities, math will come alive for each and every participant.
STEM camps at NOVA Community College Rising 3rd – 12th grade Our Virtual STEM Camps will provide opportunities for students to explore STEM and the engineering design process from home. The curriculum includes some hands-on projects coding with micro:bit and scratch, VEX robotics, fabrication and cybersecurity tools.June 1- August 7,Camps are one-two weeks long with one-three hour of instruction daily
Juni Learning Ages 8 – 18 Juni Learning is an award-winning online Computer Science & Mathematics academy that offers private, online courses to students from ages 8–18. Juni students follow our structured course sequence to accelerate their learning. Developed by computer scientists and Google alumni, our program helps bright minds develop their interest and passion for technical subjects outside of school. Juni students meet with their instructor once or
twice a week, privately or in small groups (four students).
Mason Game & Technology Academy Ages 9 – 18 MGTA has developed an exciting and engaging alternative STEM & Game summer program curriculum, again taught by full-time Mason Faculty and their most advanced undergraduate and graduate students.All of our online courses, from our renown MGTA–Envision Honors Program, from our nationally recognized MGTA Preparatory Program, or from our new cutting-edge AI Academy will include a mix of live streamed interactive learning experiences combined with team and/or virtual classroom research, design, and creation time, as well as help sessions from TA’s.
Outschool K-12 Small group, live online classes for K-12 learners
Smithsonian Associates K-11th grade Discover the Smithsonian collections and themes during these specially designed week-long sessions, hosted by many of your favorite amazing summer instructors. Live, facilitated activities with peers online, and additional challenges and projects to work on offline, provide new summer adventures with the Smithsonian you know and love.
MULTIPLE TOPICS
Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA)
Spyglass Online Classes
Ages 9 – high school Spyglass uses a digital platform to bring high-level content into the homes of gifted and advanced students across the country. Spyglass will consist of live, interactive sessions, both standalone and in series, on a variety of topics for a range of ages.

 

Additional Opportunities from universities focusing on gifted education:

Virginia

Maryland

Across the Country: