There are many demands on our teens and we have high expectations for them. If you’re like me, you often wake up in the morning and ask yourself Have I done enough? Where did the time go? There are only a few short years before they’re going off to college, starting a career and beginning a new chapter in their life. As you look at them you might wonder Are their grades up to par? Do they have the social and emotional skills to succeed in life? To excel?
If you’re asking these questions, you’ve probably been researching academic camps and enrichment programs to be sure your child is well prepared to excel in life. Rest assured, you’re not alone. I can’t tell you how many summer camps and leadership courses I checked out before finally finding the one that truly transformed my son into a scholar.
Last July, I sent my seemingly know-it-all fourteen-year-old to SuperCamp’s Senior Forum, a 10-day residential summer program held at Stanford University. Even though he thought he knew it all, I knew better. He lacked self-confidence and this impacted his communication and peer relationships. SuperCamp claimed they transformed participants to excel both personally and academically. When I called, the consultant told me they taught leading-edge learning skills that built competence and confidence. It was just the things my son was lacking. So I signed him up, and it’s one of the best things I ever did.
Of course, he wasn’t exactly positive about the idea. But once he figured out that he’d be leaving home without mom and dad to spend 10 days with other teenagers at a well-known university, he started to warm up to the idea—just a little. Nervously, we drove him to the campus. Ironically, it was just few days before Independence Day, and independence—being self-sufficient, independent, confident—is what our son would soon discover.
On the final day of the Senior Forum, we attended the closing ceremony. The son we had dropped off a mere 10 days earlier was not the same person. He was over-the-top excited. He could not stop talking about the new friends he had made and the life-changing moments he had experienced. The emotion and joy in his voice—it was so wonderful to see him so excited, positive, and passionate about something.
During the closing ceremony, my son actually spoke—in front of a packed room. He had never done anything like this before, and I must say it brought me to tears. He thanked his mother and me for giving him the opportunity to attend SuperCamp. He thanked his team leaders for bringing out the best in him. And then he actually apologized on stage to his mother and me for being a know-it-all. He said he had learned more in the past ten days then he had in the last ten years.
Once we were home, the things he had learned became more evident. He conducted himself with integrity. He was sincere, authentic, and believed in his own abilities. His relationships with his friends changed. They grew into solid bonds with affinity and common interests. And once he was back in the classroom he applied the new skills that would help him learn. From effective listening and note taking to improved memorization and retention—the results were nothing short of remarkable.
I know one thing for sure—this program went way beyond my expectations in preparing my son for college, career and life! The friends. The experiences. The learning and life skills. I truly believe this 10-day SuperCamp program has prepared him to excel throughout his life. So if you want to help your son or daughter find their true potential this summer, there’s only one program that accomplishes so much in so little time—SuperCamp.
Summer enrollment at Stanford and five other prestigious campuses for junior high and high school students is going on now. Check out SuperCamp.com or call 800.228.5327.