Discusses the effects of a three-week summer residential program on participating students' interest in science, decisions about college or university attendance, and choice of major. (Author/CCM)

Describes the Torrance Creative Scholars Program, a program at the University of Southwestern Louisiana designed to identify and nurture creative potential. The program offers two levels for students completing grades four through eight, and a summer program that provides instruction and practice in several creative strategies. (Author/CR)

Describes steps in the timeline for the Winona Area (Minnesota) Public School District's annual summer technology academy, with tips for success. The steps are presented according to how far in advance they should occur, from pre-planning six to eight months in advance to the first day of class. (AEF)

This article describes the establishment of Individual Development through Employment, Assessment, and Learning (IDEAL), a summer transition program for adolescents with blindness or visual impairments in Pennsylvania. The program emphasizes independence, work exploration, and social skills development. Data from participants, parents, and staff…

Chronicles how the author first used creative drama in a summer reading program with first graders, and then over the years developed a much broader understanding of how drama is an important teaching tool. Describes writing "scaffolded" plays with sixth-grade students. Discusses implications for language arts teachers. Describes her annual…

This article describes the 1997 Summer Gifted Program at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, a program designed to provide 102 gifted junior secondary schools students with enrichment courses and activities. The program's identification and selection procedures, organization of classes, curriculum, teacher selection and training, and evaluation…

Summer Activities Initiatives is a U.K. program that uses outdoor adventure activities to prevent dropouts and help at-risk young people re-engage with services that offer them further education, training, or employment. This preliminary look at a program evaluation discusses the target group, recruitment, staffing, residential programming,…

This study examined gender differences in course enrollment patterns, reasons for course choice, and enjoyment of course with 804 high school students attending a summer enrichment program for academically talented students. Gender and ethnic group differences were found in enrollment patterns, reasons (internal or external) for course choice, and…

This article features the Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, and describes how the University of Iowa College of Education offers teacher education through the Belin-Blank dynamic model of professional development. As a part of the University of Iowa College of Education, the…

Efforts to transfer research findings on autism into public schools would benefit from further evaluation of teacher preparation models. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a model program that was deigned to prepare current teachers in evidence-based practices for children with autism. Drawn from the extensive literature on caregiver…

This paper describes the partial results of a research project which investigated conceptions of nature and the role of place in environmental education in children who attended Camp Arowhon. Through interviews and observations, utilizing a hybrid research drawing from phenomenography and ethnography, local common wild animals emerged as playing…

Contextual teaching and learning is a relatively new concept in the field of education. However, the principles and practices of contextual teaching and learning have been around for centuries (Dijkstra, 1998). Contextual teaching and learning is defined as a conception of teaching and learning that helps teachers relate subject matter content to…

This inquiry applied an innovative sociocultural framework to examine transformations in preservice teachers' professional development as they worked with children at-risk in a summer literacy camp. The camp incorporated a community of practice model in which teams of masters and doctoral students mentored small groups of preservice teachers. The…

This article presents a list of 26 adventures listed in alphabetical order that teachers can do during the summer. During the summer, teachers can trek through the Alps, build a class blog, or turn trash into cash. They can also read books or volunteer for a cause.

The goal of the two Power of Data (POD) projects was to increase science, technology and math skills through the implementation of project-based learning modules that teach students how to solve problems through data collection and analysis utilizing geospatial technologies. Professional development institutes in two formats were offered to…