Summer Sojourn at Franklin Academy

June 24 - July 212018

Join Us!

June 24 - July 21

Session I June 24 - July 7

Session II July 8 - July 21

Have Fun! Make Friends! Create Memories!

Our Staff

A highly trained staff of teachers, counselors, learning specialists, and residential life experts from Franklin Academy provides a better than 2-to-1 student to staff ratio, giving ample individual attention in a safe environment. This ensures that each student has opportunities to practice independence and collaboration – important to the development of lifelong leadership skills and a successful adult life.

A distinctive feature of Summer Sojourn is our Intern Program, which brings back to campus mature, successful Franklin Acade-my alumni along with other college students to serve as mentors and coaches for Sojourn students. Our alumni have walked in the shoes of our Sojourners, and they are a great source of inspiration to students and adults alike. Indeed, the high interest of alumni to give back to Franklin Academy in such a meaningful way is a testament to their own transformative experiences on our campus.

Watch video here!

Path ClassesThe Path classes bring students of similar interests and talents together so friendships can easily and naturally form. They are de-signed to develop skills in the given discipline, as well as practice and improve social and executive functioning skills necessary for independence and learning in other aspects of life.

Social and Executive Functioning Skills ProgrammingThe Summer Sojourn program provides support for social and executive functioning skills across the program, from wake-up through Path class to activities and self care. While a few weeks is not likely to create a total organizational transformation, the support and coaching provided help students to be able to re-lax and enjoy their summer. Parents are offered a weekly phone update and a written report summarizing their child’s experience. Typically, students share that they make lasting friendships and admit that they may have even learned a thing or two during their Summer Sojourn adventure!

ActivitiesAre you interested in Magic the Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons? Do you enjoy live music or are you waiting to be a star discovered at a local open mic event? Ever ride on a giant Slip ‘N Slide? How about watching a medieval jousting event at a Re-naissance Fair? Activities during Summer Sojourn are many and varied and are intentionally designed for students to have fun and engage with one another in a social learning environment that is developmentally appropriate for bright teens. Similar to Path classes, activities provide a positive challenge and are created to support student’s self-confidence.

Call us! 860-873-2700

Ideal Setting

There are few places as beautiful as the scenic Connecticut River Valley!

Located in East Haddam, Connecticut, Summer Sojourn takes place on the picturesque 75-acre campus of Franklin Academy. Our neighborhood (which borders the Connecticut River) includes the Nature Conservancy’s Chapman Pond Preserve and Gillette Castle State Park. This rural setting is ideal for students to relax and enjoy the camaraderie of peers. Our small New England town is home to the world-renowned Goodspeed Musicals, providing the opportunity for students to attend Broadway-quality perfor-mances or be taught acting and theater techniques by professional artists. The Long Island Sound is a short 25-minute drive, and urban attractions are within 45 minutes of campus. We enjoy our surroundings and take advantage of local and regional resources to enhance our students’ holistic summer experience. Technolo-gy is also an important aspect of campus life. We have a modern computer science center with 3-D printing capabilities, and our campus is completely wireless.

Session 2 July 8 - July 21

Forensic ScienceHave you ever wondered how the bad guys get caught? Or, how do you really find a suspect from just a partial fingerprint or a muddy shoe? In this hands-on, science-based Path, students will learn about different methods that crime scene investigators use to catch criminals. Finger-printing, DNA, blood splatter, and properly collecting, logging, and analyzing evidence will be taught. Students will also watch crime shows such as CSI or NCIS to compare how these methods are actually used to how they are portrayed on television. Lastly, students will use their new forensic skills to investigate a staged crime scene on campus. Think you can solve it? If so, sign up for the Forensic Science Path and see if you can catch the offender!TheaterCalling all shower singers, musical theater lovers, actors, performers, and other theater-loving folk! Franklin Academy is collaborating with the world-famous Goodspeed Musicals (right here in East Haddam!) to offer this amazing opportunity. Students will work with Franklin Academy faculty and the staff from the Goodspeed to design, create, and perform in a production at the end of the Summer Sojourn session. In addition, students will have an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Goodspeed Opera House, and tickets to attend the musical Oliver!.Marine ScienceThe Marine Science Path is a hands-on learning adventure under the guidance of real oceanographers and marine scientists. Topics covered include coral reef habitats, the Long Island Sound habitat, marine mam-mals, fisheries assessment, and physical oceanography. Students will experience the marine world through frequent trips to coastal environ-ments for research and stewardship purposes, a visit to a research insti-tute, and exploration at the Mystic Aquarium. Through various investiga-tions, students will gain an understanding of marine animal interactions in response to varied environments.Digital OutdoorsDigital arts enthusiasts of all abilities will enjoy this Path! Using Adobe Illustrator, students will convert hand-made drawings of animals into vector art. Students will spend a few days at the Ray of Light Farm and Beardsley Park Zoo to make animal sketches. Then, they will transfer the images into a document, create trace layers, and convert them into a vec-tor drawing. To enhance their images, students will use the pen tool and manipulate Bézier curves to create the desired appearance. Once these tools are mastered, students will experiment with the software to create surface effects, texture, and color. The final project can be used for social media or to add to your portfolio!

Session I June 24 - July 7

Flea Market FlipFrom Drab to Fab! Transform ordinary or neglected items found around the house, purchased at tag sales, or discovered in flea markets into unique works of art suitable for selling or displaying! Students will take off-campus excursions to purchase low-cost items and then employ faux painting, decoupage, refinishing, and other artistic skills to transform their pieces into amazing treasures. We Speak for the TreesInspired by Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, this engaging Path prepares students to both save the world and survive in it! Explore how the earth’s environ-ment operates and how everyday people can help protect it from destruc-tion. The focus will be on ways we all can help to preserve our environ-ment through conservation and renewable resources, how people, past and present, have learned to survive by cooperating with nature, and how we might find ways to survive as climate change and other events might make resources more scarce. Activities for the course will include creat-ing stills in the ground to produce water, building solar ovens, visiting beekeepers, and touring facilities that provide energy as a resource. The perfect choice for aspiring environmentalists and those curious about how to make the world a better place!We Get By With a Little Help From Our Friends: Community ServiceExperience first-hand the joy of volunteering and how it can lead to future employment or philanthropic opportunities. Students will help several local non-profit groups, such as Ray of Light Farm (an animal rescue farm), Goodspeed Musicals, and the East Haddam Land Trust. While providing much-needed assistance, we will learn about the world of non-profits, including how they are organized and funded. Partici-pants can use their altruistic experience as part of the college application essay and résumé as well as to fulfill community services requirements. If this is not enough, students will most certainly have some fun as they serve others! This Path is limited to six students who are rising juniors, seniors, and postgraduates.Worst Case Scenario SurvivalHave you ever wondered how to survive being lost at sea or how to land an airplane in an emergency? How do you survive a shark attack? Or perhaps worse – how do you manage an awkward conversation or deal with a terrible roommate? We will use the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook series and our creativity to explore solutions to mind-boggling puzzles and situations in order to verify or refine our best-case solutions to worst-case scenarios. Students will gain insight into problem-solving skills and create an action sequence for our very own Path video. Much of our time in this Path will be spent outside, so pack up your sunscreen and bring your imagination!

Franklin Academy140 River Road

East Haddam, CT 06423860-873-2700 ext.1153 or 1154

www.fa-ct.org

Franklin Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin in its educational programs, admissions and hiring policies or any of its school activities.

Join Us!