Exploration Summer Programs

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Exploration Summer Programs
Location
Information
Type Academic Summer Program
Established 1976
Executive Director Moira Kelly
Headquarters Norwood, Massachusetts
Enrollment
Junior Program
Int. Program
Senior Program		 (per session)
425
600
700
Homepage www.explo.org

Exploration Summer Programs, or as it is affectionately known by past and current students and faculty, Explo, is a series of three academic summer programs run by Exploration School, Inc., a not-for-profit organization operating out of Norwood, Massachusetts. The Senior Program on the campus of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, is for students entering grades 10-12; the Intermediate Program on the campus of Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is for students entering grades 8-9; and the Junior Program on the campus of St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, is for students entering grades 4-7. All of the programs are offered for two three-week sessions each summer.

Contents

[edit] Mission statement

Explo's mission, as stated on its website:

Exploration Summer Programs creates a dynamic environment of intellectual inquiry, responsible decision making, and spirited adventure. Led by enthusiastic teachers, our students are encouraged to respect the differences that make us individuals and to find the common ground that makes us a community. At its heart, Exploration inspires students to challenge themselves, discover the world of people and ideas, and experience the joy of learning.

[edit] History

Exploration was founded by Ann and Arnie Singal in 1976. Arnie, who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an academic advisor, modeled the program after MIT's freshman seminars -- informal, ungraded classes that "encouraged student participation, active learning, . . . [and] academic risks." [1] In the summer of 1977, Exploration held its first session on the campus of Brandeis University. Originally a day program with an enrollment of just over 100 high school-aged students, by 1979 Explo had moved to the campus of Wellesley College, increased enrollment significantly, and added a residential component to the program.

In 1983, Exploration began a program for middle school students called the Intermediate Program. The original program for high school students was renamed the Senior Program, and the two programs shared the facilities at the Wellesley College campus for the next 19 years. In 1994, Explo introduced the Junior Program for students in grades 4-7 on the campus of St. Mark's School. In 2001, the Senior Program moved to Yale University.

[edit] Academics

Exploration offers a range of courses in the arts, language and literature, government, business, science, mathematics, and engineering. Though these subject areas are typical of most schools, many of the classes offered at Explo are outside of the scope of a standard school curriculum. For instance, the Intermediate Program offers a course in fashion 're-design' called "Move Over Tommy Hilfiger." The Junior Program, likewise, offers "Medieval Mayhem," a class that studies medieval battle contraptions. While at the program, students take two courses, which meet daily, and 'mini-courses,' which are abbreviated versions of full courses. (The Intermediate Program also offers 'samplers,' shortened versions of mini-courses.)

Explo classes are ungraded, not-for-credit, and taught by Exploration faculty (mostly college and graduate students). Over the course of a single session, students meet in their courses 12 times (4 days per week for 3 weeks). At the Junior and Intermediate Programs, mini-courses meet 3 times (once per week for 2 hours each meeting); at the Senior Program, they meet 6 times for an hour each meeting.

Each program also offers additional, elective academic options. At the Senior Program, students can replace their mini-courses with Princeton Review classes. At each program, there are 'weekend workshops,' which are all-day academic ventures into one subject area that students attend instead of going on weekend trips. The Junior Program, for instance, has offered a stage combat weekend workshop, while the Senior Program annually offers a college admissions workshop.

[edit] Extracurriculars

Academics are, by percentage, a small part of the day at Explo; in fact, students spend the majority of their time at Explo participating in activities that are not academic. In the afternoon, the programs have various 'activities' planned for students. These activities range from the conventional (Ultimate Frisbee, nature walks, arts and crafts) to the silly and zany ('Power Cheerios,' 'Marshmallow Sculptures,' 'Maniacal Laughter'). At the Junior and Intermediate Programs, activities are mandatory. At the Senior, they are not, and students may instead choose to shop in the town of New Haven (while staying in specified boundaries), go to the computer lab, or simply hang out.

Every evening, the programs have 'main events.' Similar to activities, at the Junior and Intermediate Programs attendance at main events is mandatory; at the Senior Program, it is not. Past main events include: 'Cruise Nights,' live performances by music groups, magic shows, and off-campus 'Movie Nights,' among others.

On the weekends, Explo students take day-long trips that generally leave campus mid-morning and return in the early evening. The Senior Program chaperones many trips into New York City, while a large percentage of the Junior and Intermediate Program trips travel into the Greater Boston area. The Senior Program, for instance, often makes trips to the Guggenheim Museum, NBC Studios, Broadway shows, and New York Yankees and Mets games. The Junior and Intermediate Programs, likewise, regularly go to Fenway Park (for baseball games and tours), Boston Duck Tours, the New England Aquarium, and the Museum of Fine Arts. Trips, however, are not limited to museums, parks, and destinations within New York and Boston. The programs, in recent summers, have also made trips to the DeCordova Museum, Mount Monadnock, the Newport Folk Festival, and Six Flags New England, among others.

In addition to weekend trips, each program also has trips during the weekdays. The Senior Program, for instance, offers all-day trips to area colleges and universities every Wednesday, and the Junior Program regularly offers weekday evening trips in place of a main event. Weekday trips, unlike those on the weekends, are optional.

[edit] Enrollment

Students enroll in the programs as either residential or day students. At the Senior and Intermediate Programs, residential students make up the vast majority of the student body. Ninety-five percent of students at the Senior Program are boarders, while the Intermediate Program is over 70% residential. At the Junior Program, the number of day and residential students is roughly even, with 3-5% more day students per session.

At over 700 students per session, the Senior Program is the largest of the three programs. The Intermediate Program, by comparison, has an average enrollment around 600, while the Junior Program brings in nearly 425 students per session.

[edit] Faculty

Exploration's faculty consists mostly of undergraduate college students, but also includes graduate students and professional educators, most of whom assume administrative roles at Explo. Faculty are involved in as many aspects of the programs as the students: they teach courses and mini-courses, serve as Residential Advisors or Day Advisors, and chaperone trips and main events. At the Senior and Intermediate Programs, the student-to-staff ratio is 6:1; at the Junior Program, it is 5:1.

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Seminars, www.explo.org, accessed September 14, 2007