Dates: June 29 - July 19, 2008
Tuition, room & board: $4,500
Financial Aid IS Available!

Students in this program should be at least 16 years of age and have completed their sophomore year of high school.

About the High School Program

Not everyone learns the same way. Our experience in working with students who learn differently has shown that understanding how students learn can make a big difference in their grades, and ultimately, in their success in school.

This program encourages students to develop a lifelong appreciation of learning through experiential and practical activities.

Our instructors will help your teen to:

• Develop a writing process that uses proven techniques to write more clearly, faster and with fewer struggles.
• Discover his or her academic strengths and personal learning style and learn to leverage them in all coursework.
• Integrate strategies and practice into engaging activities.

Courses

Students in this program will take three classes each day — two in the morning and one in the afternoon. These classes include:

• Academic Strategies Seminar
• Writing Elective
• General Elective

1. Academic Strategies for Different Learning Styles Seminar

Students will learn academic strategies to approach challenging college-level curriculum, including note taking, test taking, active reading and time management. The curriculum will cover multiple intelligence theory in an effort to help students understand their own challenges as learners so they can better advocate for their needs. As part of the course, each student will make an oral presentation focusing on his or her individual learning profile.

2. Writing Electives

Every student will take one writing class that covers the basics of good writing: coherent thinking, expressive presentation, individual style and use of appropriate language. Landmark offers three choices so students can pursue their personal needs and interests.

a.) Writer’s Block — This class is designed for students who have had trouble generating written work. Based on Landmark College’s 23 years of experience in working with college students, the Writer’s Block class provides students with creative solutions to “breaking the barrier” when writing.

b.) Writing for College Classes (Regular Placement) — This class introduces students to the requirements for and expectations of college-level writing. Students will learn how to structure and develop papers for college work, including how to follow the proper standards of MLA and APA styles.

c.) Writing for College Classes (Advanced Placement/Honors Research) — This track is designed for students who need and desire an extra challenge. Material covered in this course will be the same as what is offered in the regular track, but teachers will require more sophisticated writing and will focus on strategies for unlocking “writer’s block.” The amount and level of reading will be more demanding. Students electing this course must have successfully completed Honors, AP, or IB-higher level writing in high school. Additional writing on the placement test is also required.

d.) Writing The College Essay — Good, concise and intelligent writing is fundamental to academic success — and it’s what colleges look for in prospective applicants when reviewing college essays. In this class, students will apply their newly developed writing skills to the creation of a draft of their college essay.

3. General Electives

Each student in Landmark’s High School Program will chose one general elective. The following three classes have been developed to provide the kinds of academic support most commonly requested by students.

a.) Assistive Technology — This course gives an overview of assistive technology available to students with learning difficulties. Students will learn to use a variety of computer software designed to address difficulties with reading, writing and organization. Landmark is expert at strategically integrating technology into the learning process. Students in this elective will have the opportunity to explore how technologies like text-to-speech, voice recognition, word prediction and visual mapping programs can assist them in learning.

b.) Communications (Contemporary Issues) — We live in an information age. This course will focus on how we access and process information from the media — and how that information shapes and informs our point of view. Working with the course instructor, students will select contemporary issues for in-depth study. They will do research, listen to news broadcasts, read short articles, view films and have group discussions to increase their understanding of these issues. They will write essays and summaries discussing their views of the issues, and the culminating project will be to participate in a small group panel presentation on one of the topics the group explored.

c.) Digital Photography — This introductory course in digital photography is designed for students with limited or no experience in the art of photography. Through instructor demonstration and field experiences, students will learn to master the skills of basic camera operation, digital processing and print development. In addition, by completing structured photography assignments and participating in critique sessions, students will learn techniques that will help them select and compose their subjects, and control their shooting, processing and printing to enhance the aesthetic qualities of their prints. In a final photographic essay project, students will investigate how visual interpretation can guide them to deeper language comprehension and expression.

College Advising

Virtually all students in this program intend to go on to college after graduating from high school. To help them get started with the college admission process, Landmark’s College Advising staff will sponsor three seminars for participants:

• Choosing the Right College
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Applying to College
• How to Present Yourself When Applying to College

Each student will have the chance to meet with a college placement advisor in a one-on-one session during the program.

Extracurricular Activities

In addition to weekend field trips, a structured program of afternoon activity will be offered from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. daily. Activities include:

• Photography
• Dance Sports
• Art
• Computer Gaming

During the evening hours students will have a quiet and supervised study period with individual support available. Following the study period, students will have free time to engage in other activities on campus, including use of the gym, library and Student Center.