Education Unlimited - Academic and Artistic Summer Camps since 1993

A+ Summer Pre-College engages 11th and 12th grade students in college-level academic activities. Our comprehensive curriculum allows students to build and employ the higher-level thinking skills they will need to succeed in college. Over the course of 13 days, students will attend courses in College Writing, Reading and Research Methods, and Presentation Skills. Students will also receive seminars and lectures covering study skills necessary for college, such as time management, course/major selection, note taking and critical reading.

Students from even the best high schools are increasingly ill-prepared for the demands of university scholarship. Our goal is to prepare high school students to succeed in college by giving them experience with academic projects similar to those found in college classes in a dynamic, supportive and supervised environment. By the end of the program, students will be able to:

• Author a well-reasoned research paper that evidences organized argumentation and implements a theoretical framework

• Develop a bibliography of references using a university library

• Create a convincing academic presentation and defend their work before friends and faculty

• Navigate a large university campus and carry out the independent skills necessary to be a functioning college student.

Courses

College-Level Writing Perhaps the most important skill for college-bound students is the ability to write well-reasoned papers. Therefore, the foundation of the A+ Summer program is the College Level Writing Workshop. Our experienced instructors introduce students to college level writing and take them through the process of conceiving and developing a research report. Instructors will challenge students to move beyond simply regurgitating facts in their essays and will encourage them to use advanced methods of comparison and contrast, argumentation, and rhetorical analysis. Each student will write several drafts of an original research paper on a topic of their own interest, as well as complete a number of shorter writing assignments. Our first-rate instructional staff of academic professionals guides students with one-on-one feedback, lectures and class work.

College Reading and Research Students at A+ Summer will conduct primary research (surveys, interviews, etc.) on a social science topic of their own choice, allowing them to go beyond what they’ve read in books to actually investigate a question of interest to them. Our instructors will help students focus their research questions, design their surveys, collect and analyze results, and support their findings with evidence. Students will have exclusive access to Stanford University libraries to conduct their research, and they will craft a college-level bibliography and literature review akin to what they will be expected to write in college. To further prepare students for college-level thinking, students will be trained in foundational methods for logical reasoning in order that they may apply them to their own research projects, in addition to classic texts and contemporary editorials. They will learn how to ferret out fallacious thinking and develop airtight arguments ready for defense. Furthermore, students will be introduced to “theory,” a subject incorporated into virtually every college-level humanities and social science curriculum but almost never taught in secondary schools. Students will learn how to read and understand a theory and ultimately incorporate that theory in their writing to frame and enhance an argument.

Presentation Skills College students are often asked to explain and defend their work in presentations, but many students do not feel prepared for this challenge. The presentations skills classes gives students practical skills and experience delivering effective oral presentations, and include instruction in content organization, delivery style and visual aides. Many students lack experience making concrete arguments in a presentation, so our instructors will provide students with techniques to stay on topic, speak in coherent, logical and complete sentences, and answer questions. Instructors will work one-on-one with students to give them specific and individualized feedback. In addition students will prepare a final presentation of their research report to be delivered at the end of the program. Instructors use frequent interactive practices to make the class engaging and fun for all students.

Beyond the Classroom Students participate in daily fun activities, including sports, games, arts, and movies. Excursions to local amusement venues, such as the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, balance learning with entertainment. The most recurrent comment at the end of each summer is, “I never knew I would have so much fun!”

“I feel totally prepared for college thesis papers...(A+ College) made me improve the way I thought, wrote and spoke.” – Katlyn Roobian, 2007 Pre-College camper

“So much of my freshman year of college was spent "learning how to play the game." I wish I had been able to attend A+ Pre-College and enter my first year of college with skills and confidence - what an advantage these students will have over the average undergrad!” –Former Education Unlimited Summer Staff Member

“Being on a college campus and the overall atmosphere is a fun experience.” –Werners Ballard III, 2006 A+ Pre-College Camper

“I thought the staff was the best. All of my instructors were nice and had great information.” - Nicolas Kerr, 2006 A+ Pre-College camper