We are excited to be celebrating our 20th year! For two decades, the Great Books Summer Program has brought together outstanding middle school and high school students with distinguished educators and bright counselors from top colleges, to enjoy the kind of intellectual experience most can only dream of during the school year.
Spending a week or more at a top liberal arts campus under the supervision of our staff gives middle and high-school students a sense of the college experience that lies ahead for them. As one parent expressed it, "They learned a lot about college life and now have a goal to keep in mind."
In a typical year at Great Books, your child may choose from six campus settings—Amherst College in Massachusetts, Stanford University in California, Norwestern University in Illinois, the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, or Peking University in Beijing. Amherst College, founded in 1821, is widely regarded as one of the premier liberal arts colleges in the world. Stanford University opened its doors in 1891, and has been one of the finest and most highly-regarded American universities ever since. University of Oxford was the first university in the English speaking world.
As educators and as parents ourselves, we believe that maintaining a safe and secure environment is of paramount importance. It begins with building a community of mutual respect, from student to student and student to staff. Listening and paying attention are part of the fabric of life at Great Books Summer Program.
Each young person is assigned to a Program Assistant who is responsible for just 6-8 students. The freedom of students is respected but no one is allowed to roam campus without a Program Assistant present and all off-campus excursions are supervised. There are adult staff members present at meals, discussions, and activities. For medical needs, we have immediate access to doctors and facilities adjacent to campus.
There is nothing quite like the Great Books Summer Program in American education today.