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Endless Summer… Opportunities Living and Learning Under the California Sun Summer at Webb: you might imagine it as a sleepy time when the dorms are empty, the dining hall is quiet, and the classrooms are dark. But you’d be wrong.
The goal of this exciting venture is to provide an educational summer program that produces innovative leaders, breakthrough thinkers and imaginative problem solvers. And, in turn, to discover the very students who might want to join the Webb family for their high school education. The Junior Scholars—students entering 7th, 8th, and 9th grades—experience the Webb boarding program, engage in active inquiry and learn in powerful new ways. Sally Mingarelli is Webb’s director of experiential learning, and also heads the Junior Scholars Summer Program.
Thanks to Webb’s Junior Scholars Summer Program, the campus is alive with the very unbounded thinking that makes a Webb education so unique, highly sought after, and valuable. This coming summer marks the fifth year of the program, which has grown to include four trackways of study and two sessions (plus a bridge session), with a diverse group of 80 to 90 students each term.
“Part of the reason I head the program is my job title— experiential learning. During the Junior Scholars’ stay, we spend at least two of the 10 days in the field and while the students are here on campus, we’re doing very hands-on activities,” explains Mingarelli. “The reasoning is very much the same as the Webb educational philosophy of Unbounding Thinking,”— that high-level thinking skills are critical for success. Nnenna Ochuru’s interest in the program was piqued by the leadership program and the boarding experience. “I always had the feeling of taking the lead,” explains Ochuru, “but I did not know exactly how, and the program helped me to acquire the skills. The boarding experience
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todaysummer “These classes are immersive,” explains Mingarelli. “Students pick one topic and dive in for 10 days. The programs are perfect for kids who have a known passion, or for someone who wants to learn something totally new.” All four tracks in next year’s program mirror things that Webb does well, according to Mingarelli. And students benefit from working in world-class facilities, with Ph.D. instructors. In addition, students’ boarding day includes afternoon interests such as sports, drama, photography, drumming and creative writing. Residential life leaders—or fellows—who work with the young residents in the afternoon and evening are college students and several are young Webb alumni.
taught me to take care of myself physically and mentally. I was accountable for getting to meals and classes promptly, and for being diplomatic and compromising the best possible solution with my roommate if conflict arose. I was looking forward to the challenge I was taking at the age of twelve.” Today, Ochuru ’21, who hails from Riverside, is a freshman boarder at Webb, but prior to her summer experience, she had little enthusiasm for the boarding life.
“ My mother went to boarding school, and wanted me to have a similar experience,” she says. “She believed it would make me independent and responsible. She was correct, and I relished my summer experiences.”
The day is modelled after an actual Webb school day, with academic pursuits from 9 a.m. to noon, and then 1-3 p.m., followed by afternoon activities and then dinner in the Webb dining hall. And while the courses are academically rigorous, it is summer after all, so there is no homework. The young scholars also have access to Webb’s worldclass facilities including: • the digital media studio and maker’s space, which features CAD software to design a 3-D object for printing and Oculus Rift virtual reality goggles, • the Thornton Science Lab where students can synthesize molecules and learn about chemistry, neuroscience, robotics and marine biology, and
The 2018 slate of summer programs includes study in Digital Arts, Leadership, Paleontology, and Science and Engineering.
• the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, with its collection of more than 175,000 specimens.
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Summer scholars are paired-up in dorm rooms based on their answers to a questionnaire that is sent out before each session begins. “They get to know each other in an intense way,” says Mingarelli of the living arrangements. The boarding aspect presents an exciting opportunity to meet people from all over the world and across the United States, representing a microcosm of Webb – last year’s group included students from Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Thailand.
“I had the chance to meet new people and stay in touch with them even if they did not end up attending Webb,” says Ochuru. “In the dormitory, everyone lives with one another and it feels like a close-knit community. I very much relish the nights where we would all gather blankets and popcorn and sit on the couch watching Mamma Mia or Grease. Sometimes we would also go to the dorm room of a friend and there would be a vibrant group chatting and laughing. That summer I tried something that was foreign and made new friends.”
The summer experience also had an impact on Ochuru’s decision to attend Webb for high school. “The program to me was a preview – ‘would I be able to take care of myself?’” she says. “I decided to attend Webb not only because of the academic rigor, but also the leadership opportunities.” Ochuru has since worked in the museum and said she learned in summer school that she could take care of herself and was prepared for Webb’s rigorous academics. “I am responsible for getting to classes on time and getting my homework in when it’s due. I knew the campus and some of the teachers and even had some friends so that facilitated my transition as well,” she says. Each year, the program builds on its success with input from teachers and alumni fellows. It started as just one class and has grown to include a new class each year. The application to Webb’s Junior Scholars Summer Program is available online and the priority deadline is March 15, but Mingarelli says it is important to apply early as slots fill up. Need-based financial aid is available. For more information go to webb.org/summer.