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15 Great Summer Activities for High School Students

summer activities for high school students

While many students think that their summer break is never long enough, in truth, there’s actually enough time to fit in three important elements: fun, growth and relaxation. With summer already underway, we thought we would share our suggestions on summer activities in each of these three areas.   Fun Activities We don’t think students […]

What College Prep Really Means

With the recent addition of a College Prep category within our blog and a number of posts already written on the topic of college prep, we thought it would be useful to share our definition of college prep. One of the most important things to understand when considering how to define college prep is that […]

What’s the Difference that Makes the Difference in College Admissions?

The academic side of the admissions equation is pretty straightforward—GPAs, AP scores and standardized test scores. Many college applicants will be qualified on the basis of meeting academic prerequisites. So, what’s the difference that makes the difference in setting a high school student apart in their college admission application? According to many college admissions officers, […]

What College Admissions Officers Look For in Students’ Community Service Work

SuperCamp helps high school students and middle school students gain the skills to prepare for success in their volunteer and community service work that college admissions officers look for in college applications.   First, let’s clear up one popular myth that exists regarding students’ community service commitment. There isn’t a direct correlation between the number […]

Building Social Skills in Teens and Pre-teens

As the use of digital devices continues to increase among young people, their communication and social skills are failing to develop at a sufficient pace.   The issue is intensifying, but it’s been evident for some time now. In 2015, Michael Rich, Director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Center on Media and Child Health, said: “[Young […]

From Campers to Facilitators – How SuperCamp Makes a Difference in Students’ Lives

So many students arrive at SuperCamp unsure of their future and, more significantly, unsure of themselves. The transformational success stories of SuperCamp grads are many, including several you can read in our blog.   This post is a little different, however. It profiles three former campers who were so inspired by their SuperCamp experience that […]

Character a Priority in Colleges’ Admission Decisions

College-bound students need good character for college admission

A newly-released survey conducted by the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), in which members were asked what criteria they find are most important in colleges’ admission decisions, revealed that “a demonstration of character and values” is now in the top 10 criteria.   The IECA points out that character, as a discreet factor, had largely […]

Are Great Leaders Born or Made?

Summer leadership program provides teen leadership training

There are definitely two sides to the on-going debate as to whether great leaders are born or made. Here’s where we, at SuperCamp, fall on this issue. Yes, certain people are born with, or intrinsically develop, various traits that help them become good leaders. However, for the most part, we share the opinion of legendary […]

How Soft Skills Contribute to Career and Academic Success

Much of what has been written about soft skills, also known as transferable skills and 21st-Century skills, focuses on their importance in the workplace. There is no doubt that tomorrow’s workforce needs these soft skills in order to survive and thrive. We’ve written about it in our blog. But the reality is that students will begin to benefit from acquiring soft skills while they’re still in school, particularly once they reach college. It begins in college with motivation and commitment—having a positive attitude and working hard in each of their classes to succeed. Being determined and having the self-discipline without a parent looking over your shoulder to see if you’re doing your homework and studying for tests and exams. Attending class on a regular basis is another aspect of this soft skill. A related soft skill is being enthused about their education and having ambition. This includes showing engagement in the classroom through participation in group discussions and asking questions of the professor. It also is seen in college students who understand that success in college is more about what you learn and how you can apply what you learn than it is about obtaining a piece of paper on graduation day. Similarly, being goal-oriented in college is a soft skill that drives one’s results and ultimate productivity, just as it does after college, in a career. Developing and fully utilizing a particular talent or talents in college can be considered a soft skill. A talent does not necessarily have to be some exceptional trait or ability; it’s as simple as having and applying such learning skills as writing, listening, note taking, time management and studying. Effective organization and preparation are soft skills often absent in your average college student. Clearly, these soft skills align closely with several other soft skills, notably motivation, commitment, enthusiasm and ambition. Strong interpersonal skills are a key to college success in most academic areas and an indicator of future success. The more one can hone these skills in college by being personable, friendly, tactful, and a solutions- and resolution-seeker, the better equipped they will be as they embark on their career. Thinking, in and of itself, is a soft skill. Everyone thinks, so how can that be a skill, you may ask. But there is a skill to thinking—applying past learning to current situations, thinking critically to solve problems, analyzing and evaluating information. A college student exhibiting these soft skills has a much greater chance of being successful in their post-secondary academic life. But students who head off to college don’t miraculously acquire these skills on the first day of class. They have to learn them in their high school and even in their middle school years. They also have to use them and ingrain them, particularly in high school, so that when they begin college, these soft skills have become part of their DNA. For the most part, however, these transferable or soft skills aren’t taught or nurtured within schools. One exception is schools that have embraced Quantum Learning methods. Development of a student’s soft skills is a core aspect of the learning and life skills training in QL schools. But, for most middle school and high school students, they have to look elsewhere to learn these soft skills. Enter SuperCamp, which delivers Quantum Learning training to all students enrolled in our summer academic programs. Every one of the soft skills outlined above is covered directly or indirectly at SuperCamp. The indirect aspect of the learning comes from building students’ confidence and motivation, which in turn, strengthens their commitment to succeed and focuses their goal-setting and their ambition to achieve those goals. The thinking, studying, reading, writing, note-taking, test-taking and interpersonal/communication skills comprise the majority of the SuperCamp curriculum. Students graduate from SuperCamp with a thorough understanding of these skills and, through practice and year-long follow-up from SuperCamp, they further ingrain these skills. By the time a SuperCamp grad heads to college they have the soft skills that will set them up for success.

Much of what has been written about soft skills, also known as transferable skills and 21st-Century skills, focuses on their importance in the workplace. There is no doubt that tomorrow’s workforce needs these soft skills in order to survive and thrive. We’ve written about it in our blog.   But the reality is that students […]

In Pursuit of Academic Achievement

Students attend academic achievement camp

Over the years, SuperCamp has been labeled an academic summer camp, a learning and life skills camp, a summer enrichment camp, a college prep camp and a student empowerment camp—some labels coming from us and some from others. As they say, it’s all good—because we are all of these things … and more.   In […]