This year’s Summer Scholars Program gave students plenty of opportunities to learn about the world around them and cultivate their interests.
Each of the program’s five age groups – Tot (age 3-4), Mini (rising K-Gr. 1), Youth (Gr. 2-4), Junior (Gr. 4-6) and Senior (Gr. 7-10) – participated in a huge variety of activities across six weeks. Of the 101 courses, over 70% were brand-new.
Forty-three employees helped the courses come alive, and five partner programs – Science Explorers, The Knight School (competitive chess), HousePaws Vets in Training, The Handwork Studio, and the National Karate Institute – brought visiting specialists to MFS throughout the summer.
Parents have the freedom to register their children for weeks that reflect age-appropriate areas of interest. Each age group, for example, had classes during at least one weekly session that involved STEM activities. While the Tot Scholars observed the basic building blocks of coding through shapes and symbols, Junior Scholars explored digital blueprinting and design thinking in Minecraft and Senior Scholars investigated the many applications of virtual reality.
When reflecting on the experiences of this past summer, Director of Auxiliary Programs Martha Cameron cites MFS’s combination of teacher advisement and individualized discovery. “It’s self-directed learning, and it really allows students to expand on their own interests and their own passions,” she says. “That’s when they get really excited: when it’s something that interests them; something that’s applicable in their own lives.”
Teachers are already eagerly discussing ideas for next summer. Registration for 2020 begins on December 6; for more information visit the MFS Summer Scholars website.
Click here to read blog entries summarizing each week’s classes.