By Hannah Chadwick
What will you be doing next summer? Well now is the time to start deciding. With so many summer program registrations due soon, if you want to create for yourself the best summer ever, you can start by looking at these programs now. These programs include opportunities like Tempe Prep trips, studying abroad, Arizona State University scholar programs, leadership opportunities, and even some out-of-state college events. So if you want to take control of your summer, now is the time to start, by looking at these summer activities.
A favorite of everybody’s summer to-do list is, of course, traveling; and there are so many wonderful summer trips abroad to do. First, there are the Tempe Preparatory Academy given trips. This year TPA has decided to do two summer trips, one to Germany, and one from Paris to Barcelona. The Germany trip is a student exchange trip where the students get to take in a student from Regensburg, Germany for a bit, and in exchange get to go to the same student’s home for another few days. The trip’s costs and registration due date are still not decided, so keep in touch with Herr Gray to find out more details. So if you want to go to Germany and take on a wonderful opportunity then go sign up now!
Another trip TPA does is the Paris Barcelona trip. Imagine a road trip starting in the center of Paris, France, and ending in Barcelona, Spain. Wow, sounds epic, right? Freshman Kailee Austin agrees, saying, “I am so excited because I love to travel and this is a great opportunity to do it with some of my closest friends.” This is your chance to do the same from June 8 to June 15, 2020, and for the cost of $3,980. So register today, and if you have any questions go to a chaperone such as Senor Cardoso, Ms. Doran, or Dr. Salcido and you are in for the summer of your life. Both trips sound amazing, and are the perfect way to create your perfect summer.
TPA trips sure do sound epic, but maybe you want a different program to travel with during your summer. That totally works because Tempe Sister Cities has your back. Tempe Sister Cities is a foreign exchange student program that usually lasts the whole summer, and occasionally even extends a bit into the school year. During the program, you go to a foreign country picked for you by the leaders, and stay in your student’s house for around 5 weeks. After you come home, a week later your student comes and stays at your house for another 5 weeks. And the entire time you are busy doing fun activities.
Senior Jacqueline Risch says, “It was a great chance to meet other people from schools and keep long-lasting friendships with people from all around the world,” and she could not be more right. Who doesn’t want more friends, especially with fun international people. Plus, one of the best parts is that Tempe Sister Cities is a program that uses fundraising and donations to fund the whole trip, so it is completely free, plus it has very good leadership opportunities in store!
This program is meant for juniors and their summer before senior year. Unfortunately they have already started fundraising and it is too late for current juniors to sign up, so sophomores stay on the lookout for next year!
Another foreign exchange student program is the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program. This is a program that aims at building leaders at a young age, and creating a passion for culture and foreign countries that can last a lifetime. The program is for high school students and recent graduates, and the registration is due soon, so go sign up quickly! This program offers scholarships you can earn to pay for most of the trip, and students will stay with carefully selected host families. The trip lasts for almost the whole summer, so go register now and experience the trip of your life!
Traveling is one of the most fun summer activities to do, but there are other educational programs close to home. Arizona State University has so many wonderful education and summer programs, including Barrett, César E. Chávez Leadership Institute, and many more. One really epic one is the Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program. Three Tempe Prep students participated in this program this past summer, including Annie Meacham. Annie loved the program and says, “It gave me college experience because I met so many new people. It kind of put me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way.”
Annie loved the experience and so will you! The program is six weeks long and the students get to stay in the ASU Barrett dorms during the week, and go home on weekends. There are multiple math levels and subjects you can be put in. Annie got put into the Applied Math-Science Program and loved it. She said it was all about statistics and population and how it could change in 50 years based off of different scenarios and situations. Annie loved the program overall and especially how it helped her learn more complex and challenging forms of math not taught in most high schools. “It was kind of hard, but I would definitely encourage others to do it because it was a really enjoyable experience.” Annie really loved the program, and so will you!
Contact Mrs. Moffitt or go to ASU’s website for more information. If you love math, go sign up now. Good luck!
ASU summer programs sound like so much fun! But what if you want something outside of a university? Well do not fear because there are so many choices! For instance, one great summer program that does not partner with a university, is Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY for short). HOBY gives young people a chance to make a positive difference, and inspires them to always perform for the good of others. Most of HOBY’s work is designed over working towards strengthening the leadership skills for young people, and is the perfect opportunity to enhance your leadership skills and do service.
Now for the summer portion, HOBY has a summer seminar for sophomores going into junior year that is 3 or 4 days long and can be anywhere from April until June. The seminar’s exact date is still to be determined, which means so is the registration due date so keep looking out for that.
If you have any questions about this amazing program, you can either go to their website hoby.org or contact Mrs. Moffitt for more details.
Another amazing opportunity that is during the summer, and can help strengthen leadership skills is American Leadership Auxiliary (ALA) Girls State. ALA Girls State is a summer program opportunity that gives girls between junior and senior years the opportunity to practice government and congress work. This program is about democratic government, and the freedom of our country. Senior Anna Moriarty loved this program and says, “I really enjoyed it because we got to meet a lot of really cool high government officials of Arizona, and a bunch of girls. Plus everyone was a volunteer, so we could tell they really wanted to be there, which helped us feel very welcomed.”
The program is a week long and usually takes place in a university and dormitory setting. There is a selection process girls will have to go through, and the main qualities they are looking for is an interest in government and current events, have above-average scholar achievements, and have a strong moral sense for good. If you are a junior interested in this amazing leadership and government opportunity, you can get more information from Mrs. Moffitt, or their website online. Both HOBY and ALA Girls State are great opportunities for leadership strength and an experience you will never forget, and are perfect for your summer!
Summer Programs give students the opportunity to experience new events, and gain a sense for other people’s culture. So if you want to have the most epic summer ever, then go look at these programs, or you could get even more information from, TPA’s college counselor, Mrs. Moffitt! Remember that there are so many options through trips, studying abroad, ASU programs, leadership opportunities, and university programs waiting for you. So what are you doing? Go sign up now!