(BPT) - From the time your teen is preparing to enter high school through their senior year, encouraging their interests and expanding their horizons can lead to academic, intellectual and social growth that will serve them well in college and beyond. Using what they're curious and excited about as your springboard, you can help provide inspiring opportunities, showing them that pursuing subjects that fascinate them can lead to greater things ahead.
Notice when your teen or pre-teen appears to be interested in a specific culture, a historic period, ideas about philosophy, problem-solving or the natural world — or anything else. Encouraging their curiosity about whatever subjects most fascinate them can help open up entirely new academic fields to explore.
Discover summer enrichment options
Because the school year can get so busy for parents and teens alike, summer is the perfect time for students to further explore their growing academic interests.
For example, rising 9th through 12th graders can take online, synchronous enrichment courses through Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes. This program provides intellectually curious students the chance to study advanced subjects rarely taught in high school, offering students the opportunity for inspiration and a deep dive into cutting-edge topics. Students from around the world explore academic topics in small classes, allowing them to participate in real-time discussions with expert instructors and other students. Participants pursue in-depth, interactive exploration of fields like creative writing, design, engineering, life sciences, math, technology and more.
Students heading to college can use these summer enrichment opportunities to help them check out potential college majors.
As your teen begins thinking about college, you can further encourage their academic aspirations by exploring nearby campuses early, even taking advantage of college-level courses that might be available to high school students. This will help them better understand college expectations and give them the chance to learn what college will be like. It's also never too early to begin discussing future options with their school's academic counselor.
To give your highschooler a taste of what college life will be like, rising 11th and 12th graders can participate in experiences such as the three-week, in-person residential program at the Stanford Summer Humanities Institute on the Stanford University campus. In this program, students from around the globe gather to experience a college-level humanities course through seminars led by Stanford professors.
Course participants engage with one humanities subject, such as literature, politics or philosophy — ranging from ancient Greek philosophy to the study of revolutions throughout history and more. Participants work alongside faculty and discussion leaders to write college-level research papers that explore complex questions at the heart of the humanities.
These advanced, unique courses are offered for academic enrichment and growth, not for credit or grade. The greatest value of participating in these programs is the experience, which balances a college-level academic experience with field trips and social activities that foster lasting bonds with peers from around the world.
Maximize school-based opportunities
When your child's school offers courses that overlap their growing interests, encourage them to add those courses to their class schedule, or consider joining an after-school club that matches their interest. No club exists for that topic? They could consider starting a club of their own. Many schools allow students to create clubs, if they have a teacher to sponsor them and approval from the administration. Students can then invite outside guests from the community to speak at the club, organize special events or even plan field trips to enhance their understanding of the subject. Students with specific interests may also benefit from taking courses at a local community college.
Whether they become immersed in a new class, join a club or start their own, students become motivated by school-based activities that explore topics they're curious about. Extracurricular activities like clubs also speak volumes about their interests and initiative when they're included in college applications.
The years before college provide inspiring opportunities for students, helping them hone their learning skills and broaden their academic horizons as they prepare for their next steps in life.
