I always get the gardening bug in February. It hits like clockwork every year. We enjoy a week or two of spring-like weather here in Southern California, and I find myself irresistibly drawn to the local nursery.

This year went down like every other—at the nursery, I piled a wheelbarrow full of bulbs, mint, bell peppers, bok choy, and lettuce into my car. Once home, I carefully transplanted each seedling into our raised bed, watered the soil, and waited for the magic to happen.

Prep Classes Aren’t Enough, Even for Students Who Know Their Stuff

If you’re familiar with gardening, you know that even the strongest specimens won’t take root if the soil doesn’t have the right mix of nutrients. What starts out healthy will either wither or fail to thrive. The promised harvest won’t arrive without adequate support.

The same is true when it comes to SAT and ACT prep classes. You can purchase the very best package, but if the “soil” of your child’s mind isn’t properly cultivated, the information isn’t going to take root. Day-to-day concerns will crowd out vocabulary definitions and math formulas. Worse still, your child may panic in a critical moment and forget well-learned material.

SuperCamp—Like Fertilizer for Your Child’s SAT and ACT Study Plan

At SuperCamp, our SAT and ACT preview session gives students an idea of what to expect from the two tests, including the new SAT. But the entire SuperCamp experience is actually invaluable preparation for the standardized exams. Over the 10-day program, students develop critical skills such as time management and how to read faster and with greater comprehension. They also learn how to easily recall information and manage test-taking anxiety.

As a result, when SuperCamp grads take an SAT and ACT prep class, the information actually takes permanent root in their brains. And when they find themselves taking the real test, they have the benefit of not only the standard prep material, but also of all the knowledge and mental tools that they developed at SuperCamp.

The SAT and ACT Will Be Here Soon—Is Your Child Ready?

Now we’re well into March, and my garden is more robust than ever. I’m starting to harvest the herbs—which are threatening to overgrow the box—and the bell peppers are in full bloom. Fertilizing the soil early and often made all the difference.

March also means your junior in high school only has six months left to prepare for the SAT or ACT. If you have a freshman or a sophomore, it’s equally important that they are exposed to an experience like SuperCamp; everything they learn over the next year or two will determine their success on the exams.  What are you doing between now and this fall to cultivate your child’s mind?

It doesn’t make sense to invest in expensive SAT or ACT prep classes if the material doesn’t stick. Give your child the rich mental soil he or she needs with SuperCamp.  You can find out more by downloading a free copy of our special report, Why Most Students Aren’t Prepared for College, or by calling us at 800.228.5327.

The post Why Your Child Needs More than Prep Classes for Good SAT and ACT Test Scores appeared first on SuperCamp.

We hate to break it to you, but summer is only four months away! Spring break is actually just around the corner, and Christmas is now nearly two months in the past. Here are just a few reasons to start thinking about your child’s summer plans sooner rather than later

1.       Reserve your spot

According to the American Camp Association (ACA), more than 11 million children attend 12,000 camps in the United States every year. That’s a lot of kids going to a lot of camps, but don’t be fooled by the big numbers. Registration for many camps begins at the beginning of the school year—yes, we’re talking waaaay back in September—and you don’t want to be stuck on a waiting list with your summer plans up in the air. While some camps don’t fill up until late spring, many will have specific programs, dates or locations that sell out early. In the case of SuperCamp, for instance, our Stanford location is typically the first to fill, with less than half of the seats remaining at the time of this writing. Specialized summer programs (such as Quantum U for us) also tend to fill up before other sessions.

2.       Save money

This is a big one—so big, in fact, that it can be broken down in three different ways:

a.       Early bird savings: many summer programs encourage early enrollment with discounts, and these discounts can vary throughout the fall from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. In the case of SuperCamp, we are currently offering a $100 discount for all of those that enroll before April 15, 2014 and an additional $100 discount for returning SuperCamp graduates. Many camps offer these sorts of early bird discounts, from 5-10% off tuition to free merchandise if you enroll or apply earlier.

b.      Airline discounts: For those summer programs that are held not-so-close to home, enrolling early can make a HUGE difference in airfare costs. Quite simply, the sooner you reserve your spot at camp, the sooner you can book that flight—and we all know that booking early can save you hundreds of dollars.

c.       Monthly payments: Many summer programs (such as SuperCamp) offer a monthly payment option, so that you can pay for camp in installments instead of writing one big check. The sooner you sign up, the smaller these installments will be!

 3.       Hit up camp fairs

If you’re new to the camp scene, consider going to camp fairs to learn more about summer programs that take place both in your area and around the world. They usually start around February (wait—that’s NOW!) and run until April or May. If you’re not new to the summer camp scene, you know that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the number of choices out there. Camp fairs can help! You and your children can speak with representatives from different camps to learn more about their programs. Often held in schools, camp fairs are usually open to the public and are generally free to attend. For SuperCamp, we explore camp fairs out west, in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and the Bay area. The ACA posts a list of camp fairs across the country on their website.

4.       Ease of mind

The number of day camps has increased by 69% and resident camps have increased by 21% since 2002. In other words, you have OPTIONS. The longer you wait, the more options you’re going to stumble across, so do your research now! Make a list of what you’re looking for in a summer camp experience for your child, and find out which camps can fulfill your needs. As the school year progresses, you’re only going to get busier, planning for spring break and end-of-year activities such as banquets, graduations, sports tournaments and the like. Most camps require paperwork, including a health history form signed by a doctor. For SuperCamp, we also require academic recommendations from teachers. Planning ahead allows you to schedule any required appointments, complete the necessary forms and give teachers plenty of time to write up a stellar recommendation for your child. Finally, by making your summer plans now, you’ll be able to truly prepare for your child’s camp experience—explore the camp website and youtube channel, engage with them on social media, learn more about staff and print off a packing list so that you have everything you need well ahead of time.

Well….what are you waiting for?! Get planning.

The final early enrollment discount for SuperCamp ends on April 15, 2014. For this and the reasons listed above, don’t wait any longer! Register now or call an enrollment counselor on 800-285-3276, extension 200. 

The post 4 Reasons to Think About Summer Camp NOW appeared first on SuperCamp.

CHICAGO, – Only 46% of high school students are prepared to face the rigorous demands of college, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. Summer enrichment programs are one way that parents are helping their teens prepare better, focusing on academics, social and communication skills.  

SuperCamp, an academic, life and career skills camp, is holding programs this summer to help teens improve grades, confidence and motivation. “It’s about helping students discover that learning can be fun, which leads to intrinsic motivation,” says President Bobbi DePorter. “More students are applying to top colleges than ever before. They need to know how they learn best and gain powerful strategies that help them excel. ”

Even top-performing students may find themselves unprepared. Many students with academic talent coast through middle and high school, earning A’s with little to no effort, says DePorter. When they go to college and find work that challenges them, their work ethic and study habits often aren’t sufficient to succeed.

Researchers from the CRIS initiative argue that college readiness extends far beyond academic success. Determining success rates among students, they insist, requires new and different ways to measure college readiness that extend beyond test scores and grades. 40% of high school students are chronically disengaged from school, and confidence and motivation are often overlooked.  

Craig McKenna, a SuperCamp graduate from Hinsdale, says that he left the program feeling better about his relationships and better about himself. “I met some incredible people who pushed me to a level I never thought existed in me,” he says. “If you want to learn how to succeed in life, this is the place to be.”

About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp is the world’s leading academic and life skills summer camp. For more than 35 years, SuperCamp has helped students increase their grades, confidence and motivation. During these intensive summer camps, students acquire the academic and life skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. SuperCamp has made a difference in the lives of over 75,000 graduates worldwide. For more information, please visit www.SuperCamp.com or call 800.228.5327.

The post [Press Relesase] More Than Half of Illinois Students Are Not Prepared For College – Summer Programs May Offer Help appeared first on SuperCamp.

San Diego, CA – We celebrate grandparents everywhere who leave a legacy of a brighter future for their grandchildren. For La Jolla residents, Dan and Mary McSweeney, that comes in the form of education. Dan, a retired banking executive, and Mary, a retired school teacher and guidance counselor, promote education above all else for the future well-being of their grandchildren.

“We want to make sure that they have every opportunity to succeed in life,” said Dan McSweeney. “We’re sending these eight kids to SuperCamp. We send them to private high schools and to four-year colleges too. We are very strong proponents of education because we think that gives them the greatest opportunity for success in life. It certainly has been the case for me and my wife.”

With thousands of summer camps to choose from, SuperCamp stood out from the rest for Dan and Mary. It is the same one they sent their son, Matthew, to in 1984. According to his father, Dan, Matthew returned home with “improved motivation, attitude and dedication. He was much more mature.”

Matt, who went on to earn an MBA and now manages a sales organization, still uses skills he learned at SuperCamp. “Ultimately, it was about confidence. SuperCamp challenged me into areas that I didn’t feel comfortable with and were out of my comfort zone. It showed me I could accomplish a lot more than I had expected of myself. It changed my perception of what I could accomplish.”

This summer, Dan and Mary sent two grandchildren, Payton (PJ) and Ryan, both high school freshmen, to SuperCamp Senior Forum at Stanford University.

“Oh my gosh, when PJ came home she was a different kid. She’s always been talented but never believed in herself. Now she is self-confident. And Ryan had all sorts of wonderful stories about camp. He was so impressed by the experience,” said Mary. “It introduced them to parts of themselves that they didn’t know were there. We knew that they would experience this amazing transformation and that’s why we wanted to send them.”

The McSweeneys feel that the academic, character-building and social skills taught at SuperCamp are essential to help teens succeed in school and throughout their lives. This residential academic summer camp also gives students the opportunity to experience a taste of independence on prestigious college campuses throughout the United States. “Even just flying up without their parents was a part of getting their wings,” said Mary.

“It pushes them to the limits of their ability, out of their comfort zone, and shows them that they can accomplish more than they thought. I’m a fan of SuperCamp because of the attitudes that they came away with, the self-confidence and what I perceive to be their change in focus,” said Dan. “It was interesting, in both Ryan and PJ’s case, when we announced we were going to fund this event, both said ‘oh no.’ But after the first night, it was ‘this was fine, but I’m looking forward to the end.’  The very next night it was ‘wow, this is the best thing I’ve ever done.’”

They have already re-enrolled Payton for the Leadership Track at Stanford next summer and enrolled the remaining two grandchildren, a niece, and a nephew for the SuperCamp Senior Forum at Stanford, plus three grandchildren in the SuperCamp Junior Forum at Loyola Marymount University, for a grand total of seven children attending SuperCamp 2014.

When asked what she was looking forward to at SuperCamp 2014, Payton replied, “I’m looking forward to being on Leadership Track next year because I know people who did it this year and they looked like they had a lot of fun and an even deeper experience at camp.”

The SuperCamp skills she is using most now that she’s back at home are “definitely the ‘This Is It’ Key of Excellence. They taught me to just go for it. It’s helped me make a lot more friends and try out for the golf team. I’m also a lot more organized,” said Payton. “I am really grateful to my grandparents and glad that the rest of my family will get to go next year.”

Since her return from SuperCamp this summer, Payton’s parents have seen these changes as well. “The first thing she did after camp was give me a big hug and apologize for being a turkey. It broke through the rebellion and helped her realize we are there to love and support her. She’s much more humble and has a much better idea of who she wants to be,” said Matt. “She didn’t want to try out for the golf team at school before she went to camp. She was afraid because she didn’t know anyone or think she could make the team. But she did and now she’s undefeated. She used to wilt under pressure. Now she’s performing well and wants to compete. She’s not going to let what someone else thinks control her destiny.”

Dan and Mary McSweeney have set the bar high as grandparents and mentors for the children in their lives, and SuperCamp is proud to be part of their family legacy. “I’m just amazed with the program. I wish I’d known about it when I was a guidance counselor,” said Mary.

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About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp is the world’s leading academic and life skills summer camp. For more than 35 years, SuperCamp has helped students increase their grades, confidence and motivation. During these intensive summer camps, students acquire the academic and life skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. SuperCamp has made a difference in the lives of over 75,000 graduates worldwide. For more information, please visit www.SuperCamp.com or call 800.228.5327.

The post SuperCamp – A Family Affair for these Grandparents appeared first on SuperCamp.

We started day #3 at SuperCamp by learning the “Ownership Key.”

OWNERSHIP – Take responsibility for actions
Be responsible for your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. “Own” the choices you make and the results that follow.

This means not just being responsible for the things we must be (chores, school, etc.) but taking responsibility for those things we don’t. That is making the choice to take ownership of doing what needs to be done. I love a poster they had to go along with this idea. It was just two words but they say it all: Response-Ability!

Then we went into our academic skills sessions, starting with learning Mind-mapping. Mind-mapping was pretty neat and the students really ‘got it’ quickly. It is so interesting to learn more about how our brains work and to learn and study in ways that are easy and natural for us. I hope these kids go back to school this fall feeling more confident in their abilities to be great students.

Next I was in SuperCamp Quantum Strategies with Facilitator Lucy. I loved her intro to this session because it is SO true! She said this class was all about “how to play the game called school [or work or life…] and WIN!”  So, we learned how to use a planner effectively and consistently to keep track of assignments and activities so we know how to be prepared to be successful. The students have the assignment to make sure to get a planner they like and can use consistently when they get home from SuperCamp. I need to do the same!

Then we learned Notes TM. Lucy taught us that we speak in 200-400 words per minute but our brains can process 600-800 words per minute, so if we learn how to take notes effectively, we can rely on our brains and capture tons of great information.

So, here’s the how you take notes with Notes TM:

Start by dividing your paper into halves, with “Notes Taking” (which comes from the Teacher) on the left, and “Making” (which comes from you) on the right. Then you list the corresponding information under each side, like so:

Next we talked about simple ways to make studying more effective, such as:

• Using natural light, not in your face, position room where you study for best effect.
• Sitting up while studying
• Smells help s study, focus and recall: Cinnamon, mint, lemon, basil
• Smells that help us relax: Lavender, vanilla, roses, orange
• If you chew the same flavor gum while studying and while taking test, it will help you recall.
• Baroque music helps our brains stay in alpha state — Can’t listen to music with lyrics.

After dinner, we had a great session called our ‘Trust Sequence’ where we did paired trust falls and the ‘zipper.’ This was part of setting the stage for our SuperCamp Outdoor Adventure Day by learning to communicate and build confidence and trust in their team.

I didn’t realize that summer academic enrichment programs like this even existed! Wish I’d been able to go as a kid. It would have been great college prep indeed…

The post SuperCamp LMU Junior Forum Journal – Day 3 appeared first on SuperCamp.

Like most of the campers yesterday, I arrived to SuperCamp LMU Junior Forum wide-eyed and a bit bewildered. I didn’t know what to pack, where to go or what to do. I was tired when I got here and dreaded being away from home for the whole week. It was my first sleep-away educational summer camp!

Yesterday afternoon I started catching the SuperCamp fever and felt reinvigorated by all the energy, funny campers, and truly amazing Facilitators. I felt way more comfortable just knowing they were in charge and had everything handled.

I knew if I could just go with the flow I would be in good hands.  A hearty dinner didn’t hurt either!

The LMU campus is B-E-A-utiful. Walking through campus was inspiring in and of itself. It lends an old-world feel with its breath-taking Sacred Heart Chapel, Sunken Gardens and Jesuit Community, yet it boasts state-of-the-art classrooms, restaurant-quality dining and inspiring views and architecture. The lawns are manicured, the dorms roomy and clean and the campus quiet and safe-feeling.

There are campers from all walks of life here and it is really nice to see them all getting along, being friendly and inclusive, learning and growing from each other. Before I came to SuperCamp, I was told that the best description for it is “organized chaos” and now I totally get it. We started right out learning a memory strategy without even realizing it! We were listening to a very entertaining story told to some of our favorite songs and before I knew it, I’d learned the first eight U.S. presidents in order! Say what?! SO COOL! This is awesome college prep!

Yesterday afternoon I was eagerly anticipating lights out but, by the time it arrived, I was wide-awake and looking forward to the morning. The Facilitators were so high-energy all day long, I couldn’t believe they could keep going at this pace all week but now I’m seeing how the energy builds upon itself and am feeling all sorts of excited to keep going.

SuperCamp is an incredible summer academic enrichment program.

The post SuperCamp LMU Junior Forum Journal – Day 1 appeared first on SuperCamp.

By Chase Mielke

I see it all the time. The clock is ticking. An essay sits idle with only a few sentences written. Meanwhile, the student is mindlessly staring out the window like a creature from The Walking Dead. I can practically see the brain matter leaking out of their ears.

And then, I hear it . . . the sentence that makes an English teacher’s nervous system rattle: “I don’t know what to write.” Why does that drive us literature lovers crazy? Because we know it’s not true!

We know you have amazing thoughts and that you can craft crisp sentences. The problem is that you simply have not allowed your brain to unleash its potential without restriction. You have not allowed your neural networks to fire. You have not rocked the powerful and productive phase of pre-writing.

Let’s look at this in a different setting. Imagine you are hosting a tryout for a basketball team. Five players can be on the court at a time, so imagine if we only let five players show up for tryouts. Would we have a sweet team? Maybe, but not likely unless you have connections with the Miami Heat. This is why great athletic programs hold open tryouts. Anyone can show up. And, the more the merrier. Our probability of having a winning basketball team increases if we have two-hundred able-bodied athletes from which to choose. All we have to do is select the best of the best.

Pre-writing is like hosting a tryout for an all-star team of thoughts. We want a large pool of talent before we begin. So, let the thoughts show up without restriction. Go into creator mode. Any thought, no limitations, just jot it down. The problem with most student writers is that they are reluctant to even host the tryouts. They assume that they must dive straight into the game, and the results often show this lack of practice or a game plan. After the first quarter, they become stuck and frustrated because they don’t know the next move.

Whether it is clustering, fast writing, or mindmapping, spending just a few minutes plotting ideas leads to more organized and better writing in the end. Students who pre-write do not fizzle out as quickly with standardized essay tests. They have better thesis statements, better transitions, and better counter-arguments. Their organization scores are higher, and they maintain a more developed and consistent focus. Why? Because they know their thoughts before they begin writing. They have a whole pool of great ideas ready to jump into the game.

So, here’s your challenge: On your next essay, spend five minutes plotting out thoughts in creator mode. Don’t judge, don’t doubt, don’t hesitate. Just write. Set yourself up for success by making a plan. Host the tryouts and then make the cuts. Then, it’s game time.

And, when it’s game time, we’d prefer you not be a slow-thinking zombie. We’ve seen how zombie apocalypses turn out.  Great for entertainment.  Bad for society.  Don’t make your teacher go Sheriff Grimes on you. Pre-write! It will take the misery out of your writer’s block and actually make writing fun again.

We are happy to teach great college prep techniques like this at SuperCamp to help you succeed in school and enjoy the journey.

About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp offers academic and personal enrichment program summer camps for teens, including specifically designed summer programs for high school students, middle school students, and college students respectively. These educational summer camps provide ideal college prep skills and help instill positive values for life based on The 8 Keys of Excellence by Bobbi DePorter. SuperCamp’s academic summer programs for teens help students increase their grades, confidence and motivation.

About the Author:
Chase Mielke graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in English Education and Communications from Western Michigan University.  He was born and currently resides in Michigan where he teaches high school Language Arts and Interpersonal Communication. Presently, he is working on his Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. Chase has worked SuperCamp since 2008 and has led programs across the US and internationally in Turkey.

The post Don’t Fight It: Pre-write It. – A Simple College Prep Strategy from SuperCamp appeared first on SuperCamp.

By Doug Schlesser

One of my favorite parts of SuperCamp is our discussion that leads up to the Ownership key talk. The Campers come into our Main Room to a message displayed on a flip chart that says, “Whatever you are doing, saying – even wearing – at any given moment is sending a message to the people in the world around you about who you are.”

This idea is one that I think about a lot. The messages that we send are very important as individuals, and as Facilitators at SuperCamp, we live in a fishbowl.

When I came across a study linked on the LA Times’ blog Booster Shots that ties social networks to grade point average, I was reminded of it again.

The study, which reconstructed the social networks of 158 students at Maine-Endwell High School in Endwell, New York (a sample of 92% of the junior class), produced an interesting result.

Not 24 hours before reading this article I had a very similar conversation with a student of my own who was being heavily distracted by a friend in class. I asked him to do his best to stay on task and help bring his friend up to his own level of achievement, instead of the other way around.

Sure enough, this study concluded that students who were surrounded by friends with higher GPAs at the start of the year increased their own GPA during the year. Of course, the opposite was also true. Surround yourself with students who aren’t as high achieving and you’re likely to mimic them as well.

It seems to me that one of the most difficult conversations to have with a student is about the messages that they send. In fact, we may find that the messages adults interpret as negative are the messages that teenagers actually want to send.

At SuperCamp, where our methods and intentions live in a vacuum, a conversation like the one above can go smoothly and easily re-direct a behavior. In a school, however, it is much more difficult to consistently send positive messages. SuperCamp does a lot to offer support to our graduates to help transition this behavior and others we learn at SuperCamp into daily life.

But here’s the kicker – when it comes down to it, on paper the end result of a high school career is a grade point average. It is the first indicator, a number assigned that is theoretically representative of a student’s intelligence and level of success.

A student may ask us, “Who cares about my GPA?” And  the answer is simple: colleges, universities, trade schools, parents, future employers, etc.

It’s a hard concept to grasp for anyone that our actions in one space can affect the perception of us in another arena seemingly unrelated at the moment.

The job of stressing the fact to our SuperCamp students that their GPA sends a message about themselves, and supporting them daily in an effort to shape that message, is a difficult one. For me, it starts as a SuperCamp Facilitator. I happen to be lucky enough to continue that as a teacher during the rest of the school year.

Visit www.SuperCamp.com or call 1-800-228-5327 NOW to speak with an Enrollment Counselor and learn how to increase their grades, confidence and motivation.

About the Author:
Doug Schlesser is a graduate of Illinois State University. He has been a Quantum Learning Network SuperCamp Facilitator since 2011. During the school year, he is a High School English Teacher in Thornton, Illinois.

About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp offers academic and personal enrichment program summer camps for teens, including specifically designed summer programs for high school students, middle school students, and college students respectively. These educational summer camps provide ideal college prep skills and help instill positive values for life based on The 8 Keys of Excellence by Bobbi DePorter. SuperCamp’s academic summer programs for teens help students increase their grades, confidence and motivation.

The post Your GPA Sends a Message — Academic Summer Camps Can Help appeared first on SuperCamp.

In this fiercely competitive job market, college students must prepare every way possible to enter the workforce, starting with a successful and timely college degree. College students today must make the most of every class and that means being thoroughly prepared to keep up with the rigors of higher education. As a result, many wise college students are turning to college prep courses to gain the essential skills they’ll need to succeed, before ever enrolling in school.

With many college prep programs available, few stand out like Quantum Academy, which offers accelerated learning methods to learn faster and assimilate more, in conjunction with life skills to help students blossom into successful young adults.

Quantum Academy teaches many college prep accelerated learning techniques which capitalize naturally on the ways our brains work. Just a few  of these techniques include Quantum Reading, Writing and Note-taking, mind-mapping and power peg 12 brain rules. Students learn how find their optimal learning environment and how to consider a professor’s teaching style, then adjust their own strategies to maximize their learning

Students also receive equally important life skills training such as how to manage their time, energy, and finances, balancing campus and academic life, social safety, dorm living, and Greek life. Students also learn essential financial principles such as credit card safety, budgeting, and financial aid.

Quantum Academy’s revolutionary college prep program teaches the whole student in a highly effective manner. During the intensive 8-day course, students gain added focus and confidence while elevating their communication, presentation, study, writing, reading and life skills.

Limited space is still available. For more information or to register your student, visit https://www.supercamp.com/college or call 1-800-285-3276 ext. 200.

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About Quantum Academy:
Quantum Academy is the leading college prep summer camp for incoming college freshmen, sophomores and juniors. During this intensive, 8-day college prep summer camp, students learn crucial skills to make the most of their college education and experience. Quantum Academy teaches accelerated learning methods to help students quickly and fully understand new concepts. During this academic summer camp, students also learn essential life skills to make the most of their college experience while transitioning successfully into adulthood. For more information, please visit https://www.supercamp.com/college.

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About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp is the world’s leading academic and life skills summer camp. For more than 35 years, SuperCamp has helped students increase their grades, confidence and motivation. During these intensive summer camps, students acquire the academic and life skills necessary to compete in the 21st century. SuperCamp has made a difference in the lives of over 75,000 graduates worldwide. For more information, please visit www.SuperCamp.com or call 800.228.5327.

Contact:
Marinda Bean
Quantum Learning Network
mbean@qln.com
760-722-0072 x 189

The post Quantum Academy: The Secret to Success for College Prep appeared first on SuperCamp.

By Doug Schlesser

The first month of the school year has always been a struggle for me. While entering my third full year in the classroom, after my second summer as a SuperCamp Facilitator, I decided to focus much more on creating a classroom community, and less on jumping straight into content.

SuperCamp is the same way. We spend an entire day of our ten-day camp establishing the expectations for the other nine. We start day 1 at full speed and don’t pull back until Graduation. Our schools must do the same thing.

While at SuperCamp we create our atmosphere with high energy and Whoa Claps, it’s a bit different in classroom. The QLN terms the classroom community as Home Court Advantage (HCA).

When we think of HCA as equal parts safety, security, and belonging, it isn’t hard to imagine that our classrooms may be our students’ only home court. Increasingly, we live in communities, whether rural, urban or suburban, where pressure is placed on children that not in line with their true place in life.

So, knowing this, how do we create this sense of a Home Court Advantage almost immediately?

I can only think of one clear answer: Being open and honest with our students from day one creates an environment that includes all three aspects of Home Court Advantage.

Honesty? Many of our more jaded colleagues have turned honesty into sarcasm, and truth into hard truth.

Let me offer a personal example: At the beginning of this school year I sat down with my class and had a serious discussion about what school life had been like for them over the past ten years. After the initial silence, the room became a beehive of activity.

Quickly, we reached a conclusion: School hasn’t been that much fun.

Of course, this wasn’t new to anyone involved. And to leave it there would have been the easy part. A simple, “Yes, but this year will be different” is not enough. Asking students what they would do to make this class unlike previous classes was an adventure.

With each outlandish suggestion (Daily Nap Time was the best), they were met with an honest answer. Will that work? Maybe yes, maybe no. Would that really make you a better student or me a better teacher? The key was to make them think through their suggestions. We’d all love some Oreos to start third hour, but is that really going to help us master our grammar skills in order to communicate better?

By that time we were already learning, and learning something that doesn’t fall into the Common Core: This class can work effectively. This class can be respectful from both sides of the desk.

With this activity, those students who had volunteered were shown that even if their ideas was a bit silly, it was safe to express it. The discussion was focused on this secure classroom and not the whole school. At the end of it, we all had a set of guidelines that would help us to be(long) in those four walls for the next 180 days.

Visit www.SuperCamp.com or call 1-800-285-3276 NOW to speak with an enrollment counselor and learn how to help your child increase their grades, confidence and motivation.

About the Author:
Doug Schlesser is a graduate of Illinois State University. He has been a Quantum Learning Network SuperCamp Facilitator since 2011 and will be at our Loyola Chicago location this summer. During the school year, he is a High School English Teacher in Thornton, Illinois.

About SuperCamp:
SuperCamp offers academic and personal enrichment program summer camps for teens, including specifically designed summer programs for high school students, middle school students, and college students respectively. These educational summer camps provide ideal college prep skills and help instill positive values for life based on The 8 Keys of Excellence by Bobbi DePorter. SuperCamp’s academic summer programs for teens help students increase their grades, confidence and motivation.

The post Home Court Advantage: College Prep Strategy to Start Now appeared first on SuperCamp.