Even though most high schoolers have yet to hit spring break, now is the time to start planning for summer with your teen.
With hundreds of teen summer programs available — including academic, community service and athletic options — determining whether a particular program is of good quality and the right fit for your teen can be a challenge.
“We’ve had some good programs and some not-so-good programs,” says Stephanie Hildebrant, mom to Jackson, 16, a junior at Jefferson County High School in Louisville, Georgia. Her son has participated in several summer programs of varying costs.
Many high school summer programs are already accepting applications for the upcoming season. Parents can ask these questions when vetting a summer program for their teen.
Find out [how to prepare teens for summer college prep programs.]
1. Does the summer program have a good reputation? If a program is established, that’s a good sign, says Jill Tipograph, founder and CEO of Everything Summer, a summer planning consulting firm for families.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t great newer programs, she says. One way for parents to vet them is to ensure the owners or directors have relevant experience, she says.
Hildebrant, who is also an educator, says her son didn’t connect well with a professor during one academic summer program. Afterward, she looked at the professor’s reviews on Rate My Professors, a site where students offer their opinions on instructors, and discovered others had similar feelings.
“I wish I had done that before and then I would have had a better perspective of what we were getting into,” she says.
Safety and supervision procedures should also be of concern to parents.
“These programs are treating your teen with much more independence and you need to be comfortable with that,” says Tipograph. “There’s going to be down time. Depending upon where the program is, they may be available to go off premise and check in with people and this becomes even more critical when they travel abroad.”
2. Is the program worth the cost? Just because it’s expensive, doesn’t mean it’s the best program, says Tipograph, but there is usually a reason why a program is more expensive — such as better accommodations or trips.
“If there is a program that you are looking at that you could do locally, look at that first and rule it out before you go jump to spend the money on a similar program elsewhere,” she says. Although programs that require students to go away do offer their own benefits and may be right for some teens, she says.
Parents should also look at what the outcome of the program will be to determine if it will be worthwhile for their teen, she says. A student attending a film program, for example, might want to make sure they will leave the program with something for their portfolio.
When it comes to cost, Tipograph suggests families stay within their means. But many programs do offer scholarships and financial assistance to students, she says, although they may not publicize it so parents should ask programs about them.
3. Is the program the right fit for my teen? Not every summer program will be right for every student, says Tipograph.
“If there are 700 students in that program, and you know that your child needs a more intimate setting, you’re not setting them up for success, no matter how wonderful the program is,” she says. “You need to really identify the needs of your student and then go about evaluating the programs with those needs in mind.”
Discover how [teens can use summer vacation for self-discovery.]
Hildebrant says she looks at agendas and photos to help evaluate programs for her son.
“I’ll look at the pictures and I’ll say, ‘Do those kids look like the kind of kids my son hangs out with at school normally?'” she says. “Not that it’s not OK for him to meet new people, but you know, ‘Does it look like they are doing the kinds of things that he enjoys?'”
For her, the value in these experiences is that her son gets to explore interests and experience college life early.
“We’re from a very small town and he sees all the same people and he gets to experience different people with different goals,” she says.
Have something of interest to share? Send your news to us at highschoolnotes@usnews.com.
More from U.S. News
Navigate Summer Camp Options for Teens
Turn Summer Jobs Into College Scholarship Opportunities
5 Must-Do Tasks for the Summer Before College
3 Questions Parents Should Ask When Vetting Teen Summer Programs originally appeared on usnews.com
