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.

As we all know, reading is a valuable skill that your child will use throughout life. In middle school and high school, students are expected to complete reading assignments both in and outside of school. College-bound students should prepare themselves for two hours of studying for every one hour of class time. It is imperative that your student can absorb large amounts of content with increased speed and comprehension. Last summer at SuperCamp, your child learned Quantum Reading, which uses a combination of enhanced interest, highly focused concentration and specific reading strategies to increase speed and comprehension.

There are 5 steps to becoming a successful Quantum Reader:

1. Prepare: Prepare your Attitudes, Beliefs and Commitment (ABCs). It’s also important to create a positive learning environment for yourself. Claim a study space of your own—a quiet one, if possible. Use furniture that fits your style, and ensure that you have proper lighting. Your space should be well lit without hurting the eyes.
2. Get Into State: …alpha state, that is. Close your eyes, breathe deeply and imagine a peaceful place. Look up, look down, open your eyes, and wa-la! You’re in alpha state. Alpha state is a state of relaxed concentration. You’re calm and alert, absorbing material and making connections. Baroque music can help put your brain into alpha state—try Bach, Handel or Vivaldi.
3. SuperScan: Spend 2-3 seconds per page skimming content. Quickly expose your eyes and brain to every page. Move fast!
4. Read: Return to the beginning and read the content. A visual guide, such as running your finger along the words on the page, keeps your eyes from skipping around. In fact, using a visual guide can double your reading speed! Our brains are able to take in entire sentences at a time (not just one word at a time), so allow your eyes to flow quickly over them and your brain will actually register it all.
5. Review: Within 5 minutes, review what you’ve just read so that it sticks. You can do this by mind-mapping, writing out notes or telling yourself or someone else what you’ve read.

Review the Quantum Reading procedure with your student, and ensure that they are using these strategies in school.

The post Quantum Reading: Tips for Becoming a Better Reader appeared first on SuperCamp.

The Key of the month is Flexibility: Be willing to do things differently.

Recognize what’s not working and be willing to change what you’re doing to achieve your goal!

You’re working on a science project, and the cotton ball cloud parts simply will not stick to the cardboard. You glue, let it dry, it falls out. You glue, let it dry, it falls out. After a while, it would seem a bit crazy to just keep using the same glue when you’re getting the same results, right? This is where flexibility comes in.

The key of flexibility is about maintaining the ability to change what you’re doing in order to get the outcome you desire. If your current strategy isn’t working, try something different! Keep trying  until you find what works.

In our everyday situations, we need to look at our actions to see whether we are being rigid or flexible. If a set of actions repeatedly fails to help us reach our goal, then it’s time to change our strategy.

It’s not always easy to recognize or admit that we’re doing something that just isn’t working. The first step to being flexible is admitting that something needs to change. Remove your ego from your actions and take an objective look at what you’re doing. See your failure as feedback, use that valuable information to make adjustments, and move on! By exploring numerous potential solutions, you’ll discover avenues for success that you never would have previously considered.

How have you used the key of flexibility? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section. Click “leave a reply” at the top of this page!

Without flexibility, we’re all bound to go a little insane!

The post March Key of the Month: Flexibility appeared first on SuperCamp.

This month’s Key, Integrity, is closely related to how we communicate with each other and how we show up in relationships. Communication skills are essential in fostering healthy relationships, and having the right tools at our disposal leads to better relationships and more success in life.

Mistakes are inevitable. We ALL know that Failure Leads to Success! But even when we do our absolute best to live a life of integrity and honor, emotions can sometimes take over. We may sometimes find ourselves saying things we don’t mean or doing things we know we shouldn’t do. When an apology is needed, the 4-Part Apology is a communication tool that allows us to resolve conflict in a thoughtful and supportive manner instead of in anger or defense. It’s an effective strategy to use with friends, family, students and even teachers. Here’s how it works:

Acknowledge: Take responsibility, or ownership, for what you’ve done. There’s no such thing as a sincere apology without an acknowledgment! Use “I” statements to show that you’re the one behind the actions.

Example: “I acknowledge that I hurt your feelings when I said those things about you.”

Apologize: The words “I apologize” are much more powerful than just “sorry.” Apologize using these words outright! Acknowledge the cost to anyone involved. If you’re unaware of the cost, then just ask.

Example: “I apologize for hurting you and I realize that I may have upset our friendship.”

Make it Right: Ask the person or people affected by your actions, “Is there anything I can do to make it right?” If they don’t have anything specific in mind, offer something.

Example: “What can I do to make it right?”

Recommit: Make a recommitment to appropriate behavior in the future! Express that you plan on doing your best to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Example: “I agree to try and speak with good purpose from now on.”

Clearing the air with the 4-Part Apology relieves tension and helps us to genuinely resolve conflicts. It releases positive energy, creates synergy between all those involved (especially if it’s been building up for a long time) and allows everyone to just move on! The power of the 4-Part Apology lies in its ability to demonstrate that we’re taking responsibility for our actions (ownership). When the people in our lives realize that we’re willing and able to do that, they’ll be more open and trusting with us and our relationships will be better. And as Bobbi DePorter once said, “Communication is the universal relationship fuel. Communication grows relationships and relationships grow success.”

 Want more? Here’s a video from Steve on the 4-Part Apology.

The post Communication Tools Foster Healthy Relationships: The 4-Part Apology appeared first on SuperCamp.

Demonstrate your positive personal values in all you do and say. Be sincere and real. 

Have you ever made a promise and not followed through? What would you do if you caught someone glancing at your test answers? Ever heard of the “boy who cried wolf”? Breaking promises, cheating and lying are all examples of living without integrity. Many people act the way they feel like acting and find some justification for what they did (“But it wasn’t me that was cheating!”). Highly successful people, in contrast, reflect and then act, because they choose to have their actions harmonize with their values.

Integrity activity: trace your hands on two pieces of paper. Draw a big “V” for values on the left hand and a big “A” for actions on the right hand. Write a value on each finger of the left hand and the corresponding action steps required to demonstrate each value on the right hand. Flip them face-to-face to see how they match up. Do your values match your actions?

Ensure that your behavior reflects your values and you’ll move through life with authenticity, sincerity, and wholeness. When you live with integrity, it’ll show! People will trust you almost instinctively, and they’ll think of you as a person of your word. You’ll be known for your strong character. When you live with integrity, you’ll enjoy a clear conscience and feel good about yourself. Those positive feelings from others and within ourselves reinforce our values and build our reputation and self-esteem, which leads us to greater success in all areas of our lives. And who doesn’t want that?!

Align your actions with your values:

• Live what you value.
• If you value honesty, be truthful.
• If you value keeping your word, follow through.
• If you value being fair, do what you expect others to do.
• Your identity is who you are. Your integrity is an expression of who you are.
• Importantly, always do the right thing. 

For your consideration:

• What do you value?
• How do these values show up in your life?
• Do your current actions support your values?
• First define your values. Then, align your actions with your values.

Affirmations for INTEGRITY:

• I have stated beliefs and values.
• I know and understand them.
• My behavior reflects them.

“SuperCamp taught me that integrity isn’t just an SAT word for honesty, but a way of living so that your personal values match up with your behaviors. For this reason, integrity is a little bit different for everyone. In my life, I value friends, family, and my education above all else. SuperCamp helped me to realize that to live in integrity, I had to make my values a priority. For example, I now make a conscious effort to set aside time to spend with friends and family and to continue my education, no matter how busy I may be. I have found that focusing on living my life with integrity helps me to avoid regrets and be the best version of myself!”  

Hannah Heppner attended SuperCamp in the summers of 2009, 2010, and 2011. She was a team leader in the summers of 2012 and 2013 and is currently a student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

The post February Key of the Month: Integrity appeared first on SuperCamp.

1. Reinforce the tools & strategies that you learned at camp last summer

Remember last summer, when you doubled your reading speed? Why stop now? Steve Snyder, creator of our speed reading method, casually reads at 5000 WPM and sprints at 10,000 WPM with complete comprehension. Imagine the impact it could have on your life with reading speeds at half that pace! With increased reading speeds, NotesTM and POWER PEGS, you will study smarter, retain more information, and get better grades. Imagine all the time you’ll save, allowing YOU do to MORE of what YOU want. SO MANY ACTIVITIES!

2. Try a new program.

Quantum Academy

We know the secret to having all 3!

Quantum Academy: Let’s face it…college is going to be different. In 6 days, learn how to manage your time, energy, and finances. Explore Greek life and dorm living while mastering academic strategies that will help you to take brilliant notes and ACE those final exams. Go on…set the curve!

3. Continue adding to your academic portfolio.

You are aware that Senior Forum gets one high school credit, right? Colleges appreciate students that demonstrate commitment to their education. Not only is repetition the secret to sustained success, but we are always making updates and improvements to provide the most up-to-date and highly impactful Quantum Learning strategies!

4. College readiness

Not only will you fine-tune your study skills, boost your confidence and complete a rigorous ropes course, but you’ll be doing it all in a university setting. Live the life of a college student! Sleep in the dorms, eat fantastic cafeteria food (did someone say unlimited dessert?!) and familiarize yourself with what it’s like to roam a college campus.

5. Get on L-Track (leadership track)

We’re talking to you, Senior Forum. The world needs someone to step up, model excellence, and lead others to do the same. If you have ever felt the desire to lead, make this summer it! The world needs someone to step up, model excellence, and lead others to do the same. If you have ever felt the desire to lead, make this summer it! Leadership skills are a great addition to that college application (it’s never too early to start thinking about this) and after next summer, you’ll be eligible for LeFo!

6. Reunite with friends & make new ones

Eleanor Roosevelt once wisely stated that “many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” Coordinate with friends from SuperCamps past and pick a new location! Or go back to your old stomping ground and you’ll feel right at home.

7. Travel the United States

East coasters, go west! West coasters, go east! Step outside of your comfort zone and into your learning zone – experience a different part of the country, and for some, a different part of the world! All of our SuperCamp locations offer the same great experience and staff, but each part of the country has its own unique sights, sounds, and look. It’s a great way to check out new college campuses and see what life is like in a new part of the country.

8. Have a deeper, more meaningful SuperCamp experience

Remember the moment when all of those strangers in the main room became some of your closest friends? Take advantage of a place where great people are all working harder on becoming even greater. Where else can you be around people encouraging each other to live their best life?! Now that you’ve been through the program, YOU GET IT. Imagine what new strategies and deeper connections you can focus on now that you are comfortable calling SuperCamp your home turf. This is it!

9. Fulfill the SuperCamp journey

Where are YOU on the SuperCamp journey?

10. Reflect on past goals and set new ones

Remember breaking those barriers last summer? How is your progression towards achieving that goal? Have you been working on it? Success is addicting. Once you realize that making a plan and committing your time and resources to achieving your goals is a duplicable process, anything becomes possible. Set NEW goals and break MORE barriers!

11. Step out for what you believe in

“I am…One thing I value is…I will show this by…Tonight I take a stand for my greatness!” One can never step out too many times. How have your values changed in one year? Have you been standing out for what you proclaimed last year? Reaffirm your values and recommit yourself to upholding them.

12. Use Your Voice

….for rapping, singing or writing. Now that you know what Poetry Night is, you’ll be able to prepare for your moment of greatness!

13. Celebrate YOU

We think that you’re pretty darn great, and we would love to hear all about your success this school year and how you are making a difference back at school and home. We can’t wait to see you back at SuperCamp in 2014. Shed that Fimage, get your dance on, and see you next summer!

So go on….text your SuperCamp friends, pick a campus, and go bug Mom and Dad to invest in you again this summer! POWER WOOSH TO YOU!

As a thank-you for coming back, enjoy $200 off (return grads only) until April 15. Spots are limited—your first choice may not be available if you wait. 

Register online for SuperCamp 2014 or call your enrollment counselor: 1-800-285-3276 ext. 200

The post 13 Reasons To Come Back To SuperCamp appeared first on SuperCamp.

High schools are not preparing students with the skills and knowledge necessary to excel after graduation. In fact, only 26% of high school students graduate college-ready in the four core subjects of English, reading, math, and science.

SuperCamp teaches study strategies to help students retain information taught in the classroom. Students will learn a wide range of specialized strategies applicable in any learning situation. Knowing how to apply each one in the appropriate setting is just as important as learning the strategies themselves. Quantum Strategies include Notes:TM, Theta Scan, Quantum Reading and Mind-Mapping. Students learn simple ways to make learning and studying more effective and, importantly, more enjoyable.

73% of SuperCamp grads experience an increase in grades and 81% enjoy a boost in confidence along with improved motivation, communication and social skills.

Every person is smart. People learn differently, and when students find out how they learn, they feel smart. Determining your personal learning style means knowing how everything you experience enters your brain and naturally makes sense to you. When you know that your learning-style preference is visual (seeing), auditory (hearing) or kinesthetic (movement/touching), you set yourself up for more success. Being aware of your focus gives you valuable insight into your own reactions and to those of others–having this knowledge will help you to be a better learner.

As parents, you know how crucial this concept is. You understand the value in working smarter, not just harder. The most successful students are inspired to take responsibility for their own learning, and SuperCamp helps students to do just that.

Help your child achieve a brighter future in academics and in life! Spots are filling quickly for 2014–enroll now!

The post Report Cards Are In: Are You Happy With What You See? appeared first on SuperCamp.

“There is so much to say and express about Zeke’s SuperCamp experience that I don’t think it will show on paper as well as it is intended. Zeke had a wonderful time at camp. He could not stop talking about the new friends he made and the life-changing moments he experienced while at camp. The first thing he showed us was a raw emotion when we met him at the airport. After letting him hug and cry for a little, I knew he had experienced something that he had lost along the way. He found his compassion and love for his family and gratefulness for what he has. My son had not hugged or shown me his emotional side since elementary school—we were all crying with him.”

“The next day, Zeke and I sat down to talk about his days at camp. He had such emotion and joy in his voice, it was wonderful to see him so excited, positive and passionate about something. He spoke of the ropes course, the new learning techniques, the board he broke in half and how he prepared for the SAT and ACT. I can’t wait for school to start so he can start using some of his new-found skills. I think this year he will experience the best school year he has ever had.” —Maribel Garcia

What a story! We are so grateful to all of our campers and parents that share their SuperCamp experiences with us. If you have a story to share, we would love to hear it! 

Create stories and memories of your own! Spots are filling up quickly – enroll now!

The post Camper Spotlight: Zeke Garcia 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.

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.