Summer Program

Keeping minds active during the long summer break is no problem at Upward Bound. During the residential summer program, students take classes designed to prepare for them for success in high school and beyond. Continuing to develop skills and content already learned as well as exploring new subjects provides students with foundation for success in the coming academic year. 

Students take classes in some of the following areas, depending on their high school progression:

• Laboratory Science: Microbiology, Chemistry, Earth Science
• Writing & Literature
• Math: Algebra through Calculus
• Senior Seminar: ins and outs of the college application process
• Foreign Language: Juniors take Spanish or French
• Social Justice

In addition to course content, students learn a lot about what it takes to be a successful student. From concepts like growth mindset and grit, to strategies in time management, organization and study skills, the summer program is full of opportunities for learning how to push through challenges and stay focused on the goal of a college degree. 

Applying to college and securing the financial aid you need can be a daunting task when you don't have someone in your family to show you the way. The Upward Bound summer program provides students with everything they need to know to feel prepared and confident going into senior year. 

• Senior Seminar provides seniors with the nuts and bolts of what they need to do, when to do it, and where to ask for help. Covering both admissions and financial aid extensively, students leave the summer with a college list, a completed personal essay, the Common Application started, and a system for staying organized. 
• College Trips: Bowdoin is beautiful but there are lots of different kinds of schools to experience. College trips allow students to see a variety of colleges (2 and 4 year, public and private) to begin to sort out what is a good fit for them. Trips go out weekly to colleges in Maine and New England!
• Career & College Workshops: Learning about yourself is a huge part of the UB experience. These workshops help students begin to identify interests, skills, and strengths to inform their future plans.

Roommates. Independence. New friends. Exploring new interests. These are just a few of the things students experience while living in residence during the summer. Weeks are full with classes and workshops and study group at night, but there is also time for games in the common room, some pick up frisbee or soccer on the quad, or a trip to town with friends. All of it amounts to an experience of a lifetime and one which gives students a glimpse of what college can be like. 

Many students come having never been away from home for more than a night or two. Being away for several weels can feel like a long time at the start, but a summer at UB can provide an experience that really helps students know what to expect their first year of college. And the confidence to know they can make it.