Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Summer programs (I'm thinking early!)

So, for some odd reason I decided to start looking @ summer programs for dds for next summer. I must be getting hopeful for a quick arrival of warm weather again and an end to what has been not the best school year!

I know that this is a long shot that anyone here would have heard of, let alone attended, this program, but I figured that I'd ask anyway. I came across a Summer Science Institute in Kansas that is quite inexpensive and geared toward high school students -- mostly kids who've just finished 10th & 11th grade and who have two high school science courses completed. They will, however, take kids who just finished 9th as well.

I e-mailed to ask about dd13 b/c, while she will have finished 9th and two high school science courses (she's doubling up on science this year), she will still be 13 this summer. One of the coordinators said that they have, in the past, admitted some kids of dd's age and would certainly consider her.

So, has anyone heard of this program and do you have any input if so as to whether it is worth sending a child out of state to attend: http://www.bethelks.edu/community/summercamps/summerscienceinstitute.php ?

You are definitely not too early to be looking at this. A lot of programs, especially summer science programs, put up their applications in Nov/Dec. I don't know about the course you mentioned, but the options are pretty limited for kids finishing 9th & 10th grade when it comes to science programs. There are a lot more options for kids coming out of 11th grade.

If this program looks decent, I would send her. In a couple of years if your D wants to apply to some of programs that offer stipends for research, etc., she will have a better chance of getting in if she has more science experience.