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Students reading books together at the Saint Mary's College Summer Academy
Summer Academy at a Top West Coast College

Saint Mary's College Summer Academy for High School Students

Dive into summer at Saint Mary's College Summer Academy, where high school students explore their passions while experiencing the vibrant campus life at a top West Coast college.

Our program offers more than just an educational experience—it's an investment in your future. By participating in our summer academy, you'll demonstrate your commitment, drive, and readiness to take on challenges, setting yourself apart to colleges and universities. Not only will you earn college credit and refine your skills, but you'll also forge invaluable connections with peers and mentors that can propel you towards success.

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6 Classes

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Three Weeks

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Apply By May 15

2024 Summer Academy Courses

An introduction to problem-solving concepts and program design. Topics covered include top-down design with a structured programming language, bottom-up testing, control statements, and structured data types. No prior knowledge of programming is required. The language for the course is Python; students with knowledge of another programming language will find the course valuable.

 

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Computer science class

This course provides an introduction to the complex nature of racial and ethnic populations in the United States. It seeks to understand the diverse traditions and cultures of the people of the United States in order to gain an appreciation for American diversity. It offers a critical understanding of the origins and impacts of settler colonialism, conquest, slavery, war and immigration on the development of the U.S. We will examine the ways in which race and ethnicity intersect with gender, class, sexuality, citizenship and nationality in order to better understand how systems of power and inequality are constructed, reinforced and challenged.

 

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Students in class

This course introduces students to the academic discipline and profession of Kinesiology. It examines the historical events, philosophical positions, sociological theories, and contemporary science that concern the human being in motion. Particular attention is devoted to the cultural place and developmental potential of the corporeal actions known as play, game, sport, athletics, and exercise. American health behaviors (especially physical activity and food decisions) and how they relate to major U.S. public health issues are examined. The fundamentals of the major's three tracks-sport and recreation management, health promotion, and exercise science-are introduced and explored. Students will be familiarized with Kinesiology's main subdisciplines, their major research themes, and current career opportunities in the profession and the allied medical field.

 

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Five Saint Mary's Kinesiology students in the Human Performance Lab.

An introduction to college-level calculus, including limits, continuity, mathematical reasoning, the derivative, applications of the derivative, antiderivatives, and the integral.

 

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For students with two or three years of secondary study of Spanish (or the equivalent). This course continues the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing, fostering confidence in conversation and composition across a variety of subjects. 

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Coaching Model

In this course both beginners and more experienced performers are invited to explore the play-full art of acting. The course provides a space for discovery; through direct experiential learning students investigate the ways we use our bodies, voices, and imaginations as embodied storytellers, both as individual actors and as part of an ensemble. Students will grow in personal confidence and creativity, as they "step outside the box" of their everyday modes of self-presentation and relationship.The course will also expand students' artistic lens through the practice of identifying and interpreting the clues a playwright has woven into a playtext -- a process called script analysis. Through it, students learn to think like actors - but also like playwrights, dramaturgs, directors and designers, as they build a foundational, holistic understanding of the entire collaborative production process. The course culminates with the rehearsal and performance of scripted scenes, chosen to allow every student to bring a character to life through their own intersectional identities.

 

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Theatre

 

Class Dates & Schedules

June 10-June 28, 2024*

*Juneteenth Holiday observed June 19, no class

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Summer Academy 2024 Calendar

Monday-Friday (Schedule A)

9:00-11:30 am Class
11:30-12:30 pm Lunch
12:30-2:30 pm Study Hall
2:30-4:00 pm Activities

Monday-Friday (Schedule B)

10:30-1:00 pm Class
1:00-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-4:00 pm Study Hall/Activities
5% Best Regional Universities in the West
U.S. News & World Report: Best Colleges, 2025
Top 5% in the U.S. For Earning Potential
Payscale.com, 2023
Colleges That Change Lives Distinction
CTCL.org, 2022
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Program Cost

Full enrollment in Saint Mary's College Summer Academy is covered by a single $2,450 payment, which includes:

  • Tuition
  • Lunch
  • College Credits
  • Campus Activities
  • Rec Center Amenities
  • College Application Prep
  • Access to Faculty

Contact

S. Marshall Perry, Ph.D. (he/they)
Vice Provost, Academic Innovation
Professor, Leadership

smp21@stmarys-ca.edu

(925)-631-4586