<p>I am looking for a summer program for my son who is Junior in HS now. He enjoys history, government and politics. I have looked at a few: American University, Georgetown and William and Mary. Has anyone been to one of these? How were they? Any other places I should look? I am looking for something not too far from home (Boston) and a two or three week program at the most.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>boys/girls state? my friend had a lot of fun there.
Another friend of mine went to the one in Georgetown and didn’t like it. But she’s quite socially awkward so could be different for your son.</p>
<p>Dear labbydog,</p>
<p>You might consider taking a look at the St. Albans School of Public Service program in Washington, D.C., a summer public policy/politics/public service program for high school juniors in Washington, D.C. It sounds like you are willing to consider D.C. – however, this is a four-week program (June 23 - July 20) so that might be too long (we are small enough to be flexible for students with travel or family conflicts who arrive or leave a few days late). It is a small, co-ed, residential program (35-40 students), on the campus of St. Albans School (which is on the grounds of the National Cathedral). We use case studies from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government as the bedrock of our curriculum, and the students meet for Q&As with everyone from a sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice to State Dept. Foreign Service officers to public health workers.</p>
<p>Over the years we’ve had many students from the Boston area, including both public and private schools (Roxbury Latin, Winsor, Belmont Hill, and Nobles in particular). To the extent you are interested, we could probably put you in touch with a recent program parent to talk about the School of Public Service:</p>
<p>Here’s a couple links that you might find helpful, either to check out SPS or to look for other programs:
<p>Lastly, here’s a review from one of our 2012 participants, a young man from the Boston area (this was posted on Enrichment Alley) that does a fantastic job of describing our program:</p>
<p>"St. Albans SPS is definitely the perfect summer program for anyone interested in government, public service/policy, law, or economics. The program is comprised of case-studies from the Kennedy School of Gov, speakers from all facets of DC and political life, and curricular trips in and around the District. St Albans benefits both from the superb caliber of faculty and students (who are all not only smart, but in my experience were all also incredibly and genuinely interested) and also the big-name speakers it is able to pull. What defines the St Albans experience for me is that just a few days after arriving at the program, we were in a private meeting at the Supreme Court discussing Constitutional Law with Justice Elena Kagan. We were repeatedly given similar opportunities, where we would spend a few days on a given topic, and then meet the person(s) who were and are at the center of these issues today. The program does an excellent job of putting into concrete practice ideas and areas that you may have previously been only abstractly interested in, and can shape your interests more specifically while testing which ones you actually enjoy the most. Another great part of St. Albans is the simulations which are done frequently throughout. These scenarios had students playing the role of PAC Directors, lawyers and Supreme Court Justices, int’l diplomats and freshman congressman managing our reelection campaigns. All of these experiences were able to give us a flavor for the various sides of politics and government, without letting one necessarily dominate the focus. Activities out of the classroom are also a great part of SPS. Whether they were curricular trips (such as the US Congress or various DC Think-Tanks) or just fun weekend trips around DC, VA, and MD, the opportunities to explore the area are a vital part of St Albans. All the stuff that I had seen when visiting DC as a tourist was covered, but so too were quirky, lesser-known sites that made the trip unique. I would definitely recommend St Albans in the highest possible degree to anyone who’s considering a political or legal path, or who is just interesting in exploring these fields. Not only will the experience itself be well worth the investment, but everyone involved in the program will have a similar passion and a great camaraderie. "</p>
<p>–2012 Participant, Boston MA</p>
<p>Do you know if the programs at American University are good? There is one given by Americans for Informed Democracy called Global Scholars. I am looking for objective reviews.</p>