There is more to being part of a college community than living on campus. This three-week program instills the values of mutual respect, dedication to academic achievement, and opportunity for personal change and growth. When it is time for them to matriculate on to a college campus, students in this program will be better prepared to interact with faculty members and fellow students.
Coming Soon for 2021:
Dates: Sunday, July 12 – Friday, July 31, 2020
Cost:
Traditional Track: $5,680
Social Pragmatics Track: $6850
Our High School Summer Program is for students who find it challenging to keep pace academically. We’ve designed this program to introduce students to skills and strategies that will help them prepare for college-level work and experience a learning community focused on their success.
During the program students are encouraged to develop a greater appreciation of learning through experiential and practical activities. Students learn to apply writing process strategies, understand their academic strengths and personal learning style, integrate stronger academic strategies and practices, and begin to focus on the development of better habits for success.
The program curriculum includes a core course providing a foundation for other coursework and activities and a writing class that covers the basics of good writing. Students will participate in two courses, an elective course of their choice, afternoon and evening activities, academic prep four nights a week, and have opportunities for supplemental academic support as needed.
We know not everyone learns in the same way. Our experience with young people who learn differently suggests a sense of self and good insight into one’s individual learning style can make a big difference in outcomes at school.
Our experienced summer faculty and staff will help students:
To complement the work within the classroom, our Student Affairs team has created a robust line-up of programs to help foster strong connection to peers and the LC community. Students will find a wealth of opportunities designed to nurture creative energy and a strong emphasis on personal wellness. Our programs are thoughtfully structured to allow for ease of access and connection and provide a consistent and important opportunity for students to be enlightened and entertained.
Complementing our lineup of programs are the Residential Deans and Social Skills coaches who are on-hand to support social engagement and outline strategies for balancing the demands and opportunities within the program.
NOTE: Students must have completed their sophomore year of high school, and be returning to high school in the fall. Participants are not required to have a diagnosed learning disability to participate.
Financial Aid is available and awarded upon acceptance. Financial aid applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. We encourage parents to submit an application for financial aid early.
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“The Landmark High School Summer Program has made a positive and palpable difference in my daughter’s self-esteem. The daughter we picked up from the program had become noticeably more mature in a mere three weeks’ time. It was one of her best learning experiences ever, and has helped both academically and emotionally to prepare her for college.” “Our son had an amazing experience at Landmark! It was a great boost to his self-esteem and his learning skills.” “We were very pleasantly surprised at the shift in attitude, self-confidence, and pride.” “The social interaction available to our son was terrific for him. It gave him a glimpse of what college could be like.” “The program was a perfect fit for my daughter. We would have liked a longer program to develop her writing skills, as well as her reading comprehension skills. After high school, we may send her back to Landmark College’s Transition to College program before beginning college.” “The social skills and the pre-college experience were invaluable!” “I can’t say enough good things about the program! My son is so much more confident now. He loved it so much, he’s applied to attend Landmark College next fall.” “The greatest benefit from the program was in meeting other kids who are like him—he is maintaining these friendships and feels a lot less ‘different.’” “We noticed significant growth and maturity in our daughter!” “I think the program was terrific. It’s just too soon in the school year to see whether our son will show any benefit at this point. Given his particular issues, I’m not surprised. I didn’t expect a dramatic result from a 3-week program. That said, we’re sold on Landmark College—and he is, too. We’re hopeful he’ll be able to attend as a full-time student next fall.” “My daughter had an absolutely positive experience. She made new friends that she is still in contact with. It helped her to see that many people have learning disabilities like her. Our high school has a very strong support services department, so I don’t think there was a whole lot more for her to learn about her disability—although she was able to complete a very well-written college essay at Landmark College.” |
Like other colleges and universities, Landmark College admits a diverse class of students every year. Landmark College, however, does not simply admit learners on the spectrum; we have set, as a strategic priority, development and refinement of services that are integrated, progressive, and student-centered.
As described in the Academic Program section, the Strategies for College Success core course includes two days per week of PEERS® instruction. PEERS® is evidence-based social skills instruction where students will learn through didactic lessons and role play demonstrations.
Students will also receive 1:1 social coaching to support them in how to apply the skills from their weekly lessons. Parents are encouraged to participate in a weekly, online, evening session to review the lessons and learn tips on how to support their student.
Learning Strategies Seminar—Required for all students in the Traditional Track: This course will reveal the “art” of learning by integrating a variety of learning strategies that can improve each student’s ability to learn. The course will cover such important areas as perception, attention, emotion, memory, and motivation, as well as how we communicate what we learn through speech and writing.This class orients students to elements of goal setting, organization of time, materials, project planning, strategic learning, and self-advocacy, through a highly interactive, hands-on curriculum. Students will consider their own learning styles and challenges as they study brain-based research about learning. The use of technology will be discussed, and the skills of active reading, note-taking, test taking, and summary writing will be introduced.
Strategies for College Success—Required for all students in the Social Pragmatics Track: This course will help prepare students for the demands of living on a college campus and attending college classes. There will be a strong focus on social communication instruction that supports students’ development of in-class discussion, personal communication, and peer-to-peer conversations. Students will learn a variety of study skills and organizational methods that further support college academic success. Further, students will consider their own learning styles and learning challenges and determine their strengths and areas for improvement. Once these strengths and areas for improvement are identified, students will use this information to consider long-term goals. Students will produce a portfolio by the end of the course that includes useful resources, tools, and strategies that will support college success.
This course includes two days per week of PEERS® instruction. PEERS® is evidence-based social skills instruction where students will learn through didactic lessons and role play demonstrations. Students will also receive 1:1 social coaching to support them in how to apply the skills from their weekly lessons. Parents are encouraged to participate in a weekly evening session to review the lessons and learn tips on how to support their student.
Writing the Effective Essay: Writing that is clear, honest, concise, and persuasive is a general requirement for academic success at the college level, and it is what colleges look for in application essays. Students will be introduced to the goals and structures of personal and persuasive writing and will work to develop a personalized and strategic approach to their own writing process. Using prompts typically found on college applications, students will write an essay that can be used as a model for their own college application essay.
Academic Prep is offered four evenings each week. This provides a structured time for students to review the class work of the day and/or prepare the work required for the next day or for ongoing class projects. Academic Prep is also a time for students to gain expertise in the use of Assistive Technology.
Elective courses provide a balance to the day and run Monday through Friday. Students are asked to sign up for a workshop they will participate in for the entire program. Options and descriptions are listed below. On Tuesday and Thursday students will participate in co-curricular activities ranging from things like Yoga, Improv, and Zumba. Students will sign up for activities after enrollment in the program.
Drawing
Sports & Culture
Tech Tools for Learning
Photography: Learn and Shoot
Mindful Teen
Drawing: This is an introductory course in drawing, but will also provide continued instruction for seasoned mark makers. Emphasis is on strategies, methods, and techniques for translating three-dimensional form and space onto a two-dimensional surface using the language of line, value, and the illusion of depth and texture. Mark making and its expressive and descriptive qualities will be examined.
Sports and Culture: Are you interested in sports in America? In this course, we will look at the role sports play in our society. Using materials from a variety of sources, students will examine the relationships sports have to individuals and social organizations. The course will cover current issues in sports, such as the nature of competition, performance enhancement, violence, gender issues, and multi-million dollar contracts.
Tech Tools for Learning (Assistive Technology): Do you wonder how you can use technology to help you become a better student? Have you ever been told you should try Dragon or Kurzweil, but haven’t known where to begin? Are reading and spelling challenging for you? In this course, you will learn about three of the assistive technologies used at Landmark College: Kurzweil 3000 (text-to-speech), Inspiration (concept/mind-mapping), and Dragon NaturallySpeaking (speech-to-text). Additionally, we will present other technology options, including OneNote and many free options such as Readability, WebNotes, StudyBlue flashcards, Wunderlist, LeechBlock, and ToDoList. You will learn through a process of classroom discussion and activities, small-group interaction, hands-on training, homework assignments, and a final evaluation. This course will present you with a solid foundation for pursuing AT upon returning to your high school or going on to college.
Photography: Learn and Shoot: The best camera in the world is the camera in your pocket. Whether you use a phone, DSLR, or point and shoot, come and learn the basics about camera functions, lighting, and composition. After quick mini-lessons, practice using your camera outside or in easy-to-create studio set-ups. During this workshop, we’ll explore camera terminology, composition, storytelling, and post processing. We’ll examine student’s work in online critique sessions and “how to” post-processing demonstrations. This workshop will encourage everyone to “get out” and start taking amazing images.
Mindful Teen: Mindfulness can sharpen focus, increase happiness, and lower anxiety. What is mindfulness and how can it enhance our well-being? In this workshop we will cover strategies for reducing anxiety, sharpening focus, and increasing your sense of wellness in daily life. Themes covered will include mindful eating, mindful movement, and meditation. Students will walk away with a range of strategies and exercises for optimizing their well-being and learning during these challenging times.
| 9 – 10 a.m. | Scheduled One on One Appointments for PEER Coaching Optional for all students: Morning Mindfulness |
| 10 – 10:30 a.m. | Morning Check in—Entire Group |
| 10:30 – 11:45 a.m. | Workshops (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday)—Students Choice See Workshop Selection Form for Options |
| 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | LUNCH |
| 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. | Class Period 1 |
| 2:15 – 3:45 p.m. | Class Period 2 |
| 3:45 – 4:30 p.m. | Free Time |
| 4:30 – 5:45 p.m. | Extracurricular Activities (Tuesday and Thursday)—Students Choice: Yoga, D&D, Improv, and more |
| 5:45 – 7 p.m. | Free Time |
| 7 – 8 p.m. | Academic Prep (Monday – Thursday) |
| 7 – 10 p.m. | Optional Drop-In Activities (Monday – Friday) Join us for: Netflix nights (sponosored by our Center for Diversity & Inclusion), Trivia, Open Mic, Bingo, and Poetry Slam nights |
Contact Carroll Paré
802-387-6885
cpare@landmark.edu
