Reclaiming the lost semester

By Greg Fairchild, dean and CEO of University of Virginia in Northern Virginia

April 26, 2023

It’s Spring. As the days lengthen and summer approaches, parents are thinking increasingly about how their children will spend the break from school.

In addition to camps, vacations and swim meets, many parents are considering summer learning and enrichment programs—both in the home and through offerings from educational institutions. As a father of three, I speak from experience. My wife and I sought opportunities that would be engaging for our children, aligned with their burgeoning academic interests, and that could allow them to socialize with others their age.

The author’s son, Cole Fairchild, attended SEP years ago in Charlottesville. UVA NOVA introduces SEP this summer, both online and in-person. credit: Kevin Monko/Penn Engineering
The author’s son, Cole Fairchild, attended SEP years ago in Charlottesville. UVA Northern Virginia introduces SEP this summer, both online and in-person. credit: Kevin Monko/Penn Engineering

Another reason might be cautionary: to avoid what some call the “summer drift.” This is a phenomenon in which students’ academic progress is slowed during relatively laissez faire summers. Over the course of a summer, losses can be especially pronounced in reading, math and science courses (some studies suggest losses equaled at least one month in grade level equivalence).

However, summer drift isn’t inevitable. Academic engagement during summer can provide several benefits. Students can get ahead on subjects for next year (we called this ‘preview’ in my home), prepare for college and develop new skills such as critical thinking, coding or creative writing. Summer can be a time for kids to engage with novel interests and curiosities and meet similarly interested students that don’t attend their home schools. Socialization shouldn’t be underestimated. Spending time with a cohort of like-minded can help alleviate feelings of loneliness and provide a support structure for future learning.  

Some of these academic programs for high schoolers are offered by universities. These include Stanford, Harvard, Duke, UCLA, and others. For years, we’ve run a Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) at the University of Virginia on our Charlottesville Grounds. This summer, we are bringing this program to Northern Virginia (both online and in our Rosslyn facility).

SEP will have both online and in-person held at Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, VA.
SEP will have both online and in-person held at Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, VA.

Our program includes a broad base of topics. A few worth mentioning include:

  • Introduction to Programming – Learn the basics of coding and turn a messy problem into simple steps. Beyond the demand for this skill in jobs, students will understand how empowering it is to have computing power at your fingertips and even how you can use your programming skills to express yourself creatively.
  • Gene-ius Policy – Join us for a wild ride through fundamental concepts, modern techniques and thought-provoking discussions on the social, political and legal aspects of genetics.
  • Introduction to Health Humanities – This introductory course is designed for students who adamantly wish to pursue a career in a health profession, and for students who are torn between their love for the humanities and their desire to help people in the way medicine is uniquely positioned to do.

As you and your family consider how to fill your summer, research programs that align with your learner’s interest and goals. Other considerations include cost, location and program length.

I recommend you consider joining us in the UVA|Northern Virginia Summer Enrichment Program. We know that there are many competing alternatives for your time. We offer programs during the weeks of June 19 to July 28, and have the flexibility of varied durations. We are also providing a select set online offerings. And, I must add that our facility overlooks the Potomac with an amazing view of the Capital.

I offer with humility that the quality of the education is what you’d expect of the University of Virginia—Best in Class. Young learners engage with topics in enriching online and in-person classes and their excitement spills over to the family dinner table, the playing field with friends, and they ‘infect’ friends with these frameworks in their social media posts. Learning is continuous—past the ‘four walls’ of the classroom, and beyond the end of the high school calendar.

Explore courses that satisfy your high schooler’s curiosity here.

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