Summer Academy Youth Camps at UGA?

[Alexinmemphis]

I am wondering if anyone has had any experience with these camps? They do not specify for gifted students (not like Duke TIP, for instance or MathPath), and so I am not necessarily wondering about whether the instruction is top-rate. I noticed a post, though, on Duke TIP Central, and will say that these camps seem to specify instructors well in advance of registration. My question is about the general feel of the camp-- if you sent a child there would you do it again? Well-supervised? Variety of activities? Happy child?

 

I have an extremely bright son who has not been away from home before, and before we send him off to a longer camp, we want just a one or two week experience overnight and away from home. I don't *need* high-powered academics, just friendly, responsive adults who know how to manage kids (like the MathPath people, for instance).

 

Thanks for any insight or other ideas if you have them!

 

http://www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/youth/summer-academy

 

Alex (I never post, but I have been a WTMer since 2000)

[Dmmetler]

No experience, but from what I've seen, academic enrichment camps, even if not specifically "gifted" tend to attract a high performing population who want to be there. Camps designed for remediation/credit recovery and sometimes for advanced placement/getting college credits are more a mixed bag-that they can get a good number of kids who are there because their parents want them to be, not because they want to be, and depending on how the camp is structured, may or may not have a negative effect on the kids who really want to be there. (I went to one as a high school student where my roommate had one course of study that wasn't what her parents intended. Let's just say that I spent a lot of time in the library while she pursued said course of study with every willing male on campus. I do wonder what grades she earned...). Anyway, you may well find it's a great fit.

[Alexinmemphis]

Thanks for your thoughts!