Spend This Summer… with Great Books and New Friends The Great Books Summer Program is an experience like no other in American education. For the past six years, the Great Books Summer Program has gathered exceptional middle and high school students from across the nation to read selections from the greatest works of literature, experience college-level discussions and seminars and enjoy summer fun with other literary-minded students.

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Exceptional Middle School and High School Students

The Great Books Summer Program offers sessions for two age groups: the Intermediate Program for middle school students (entering Grades 6 - 8) and the Senior Program for high school students. Each age group is guided by outstanding high school and university educators through a unique reading list composed of some of the world's classic literature, reading lists especially designed to capture the interest and exuberance of that age. In addition, middle schoolers and high schoolers each have the opportunity to develop their talents and their passions in two week-long activities of their choice—a literature and an art elective. And all students have a chance to sharpen their writing skills—both creatively and critically—writing in response to the inspiring books and essays they read.

Experience College at Amherst, Stanford or William & Mary

You can choose from three campus settings—Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Stanford University in Palo Alto, California or The College of William & Mary in Historic Williamsburg. Living right in the dorms of these beautiful and historic campuses, both middle schoolers and high schoolers get a small taste of collegiate life and a great deal of confidence in preparing for college.

The World's Greatest Literature

The Great Books Summer Program introduces students to a course of classic essays, poems and books which draws out the enduring questions that have engaged minds and have shaped history. Ranging from the ancient to the very modern, from Plato and Homer to Jhumpa Lahiri and Raymond Carver, the outstanding members of the Great Books Program faculty draw out from the text the ideas and the issues that have inspired and perplexed some of humankind's greatest authors in their lives and in their writing. Students are challenged and encouraged to make these issues and ideas their own by developing their own opinions and interpretations in discussions and seminars alongside both their peers and their professors.

The Great Books Summer Program is operated in association with The Great Books Foundation and sponsored by Early Advantage. The program is not sponsored by Amherst College, Stanford University or The College of William & Mary. All names are trademarks of their respective owners.