Discover your passion. Dive into research. Work with teammates to brainstorm ideas. Create a project. Test it out on an audience. Celebrate a great success with family and friends!
Sound like your typical Silicon Valley start-up? Actually, it’s our new, free Summer Enrichment Program for middle school students at DCPS!
This summer we are joining the likes of companies such as Google, LinkedIn, HP, Facebook, and 3M who have allotted time for employees to get creative. The only difference is that DCPS is working with students, not employees. Through hackathons or “20 percent time”—setting aside some percentage of office time—workers can pursue their interests, experiment, go wild with their ideas, and create projects from scratch. Products such as the Post-It note and Gmail came from this time.
In that same spirit of creative discovery, Summer Enrichment Program students will have the chance to dig deep into their interests, immerse themselves in what they love, and learn valuable skills and knowledge in the process.
DCPS will collaborate with the University of Connecticut Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development to offer this new and exciting program for 100 middle schoolers over four weeks in the summer. The program is based off of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, a non-traditional approach to gifted and talented education currently being used in six DCPS schools.
Participants might start the program in July by listening to a guest speaker or watching a film in one of the subject areas: science, math, creative writing, social studies, or the arts. They’ll be asked what piqued their interest, and then be given the resources and time to do more investigating. They’ll work with other students on a project to solve a real-world problem related to their interests. Completed projects will be displayed at an event at the end of the program. All the while, enrichment teachers will guide the class (no larger than 15 students) and provide resources.
For example, students interested in architecture might build their own model, engaging their math and science skills, while constructing a bridge according to specific, real-life standards and testing its strength. Or students can work together to design, prepare, and cook for a student restaurant. Or make a business plan for a small business. The possibilities are endless.
Throughout the program, students will be challenged to make decisions, link academics with life, and learn real world skills. The goal is to awaken or nurture their talents and love of learning while empowering them to change their worlds. Who knows? They might start the next Google.
Who?
All rising middle school students (5th, 6th, and 7th graders) enrolled at a DCPS middle school can apply. Students need to fill out a short application to be considered and selected.
Where?
Held at Kelly Miller and Hardy Middle Schools (100 spots total, 50 at each school)
When?
Monday, July 7 - Friday, August 1
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. each day
Free breakfast and lunch provided