About Peddie Summer Academy
A summer boarding school experience for rising 6th–8th graders.
July 7–20, 2024
Academics
The Peddie classroom centers around creativity, collaboration and innovation. At the Peddie Summer Academy, we cultivate that same authentic, interactive, rigorous academic environment for our younger students. All classes are designed and taught by the passionate, experienced educators of Peddie’s faculty. Students will enroll in three electives: one STEM elective, one humanities elective and one art elective.
Students will enroll in specific class choices via an online registration form. In an effort to encourage exploration of academic interests, we hope to enroll all students in their first choice classes, although courses may change. A laptop will be provided for each student to use during the course of the academy.
The PSA is not a “for credit” experience and courses are not assigned grades. Instead, students will receive a summary of their work from each teacher. The Peddie Summer Academy does not offer an English as a Second Language component. All students must have strong English language proficiency to keep pace with the coursework.
Here are a few example courses based on last year’s offerings.
Humanities
Humanities electives will use various historical lenses to discuss the human condition and address modern society’s challenges. The humanities courses will also utilize short stories and develop descriptive writing skills.
Pop Poetics and Politics: Pop media and current events
This course examines popular media and how its various applications inform current events. You will analyze product advertisements, social media, movies, YouTube, video games and smartphone applications to assess the messages presented on these platforms. You will then engage in discussion to address how these media messages persuade and influence consumers. In addition to the discussion, you will tackle these issues through descriptive writing.
First-Person Narratives: Writing about you and the world
Human beings use stories to understand and navigate the world. In this course, we will review personal narratives to understand different ways to represent our own stories. We will discover and reflect on how to tell our own story and the importance of doing so. In the end, you will develop and share your narrative through poetry and descriptive writing.
STEM
STEM electives will vary across physical, environmental, and life sciences disciplines. All STEM courses will heavily emphasize experimental design and data analysis.
How to Launch a Potato: Applications of physics
Physics is everywhere. From the cars on the street to the athletic fields, physics determines how fast, far and high things can travel. So how far can you launch a potato? This course will allow you to dive into the science of projectile motion. You will compute and design a contraption to optimize the distance a potato can travel. Through this course, you will also better your understanding of inquiry and experimental design.
Forensic Investigations: How to solve a crime with Science
Ever felt like your science class was irrelevant to real life? This course will show you how STEM is used daily to solve mysteries and crimes. In this hands-on exploration, you will use chemistry, math, physics and biology to determine who committed a crime. Beginning with lab skills and crime scene integrity, we will move on to fingerprinting, hair and fiber analysis, blood typing, chemical analysis and DNA amplification.
Climate Change: An informed outlook on the future
Drastic temperatures, increased storms and flooding, changes in the ecosystem, and extinction of species – the climate is changing, and it will eventually impact everyone. This course will enable you to delve deeper into the science behind climate change. You will use various chemical and biological techniques to assess water quality in a nearby stream and explore factors that affect water conditions. In the lab and classroom, you will examine other factors involved in climate change to gain a solid foundation in the science behind this ecological change.
Art
The art electives will allow students to explore their creative interests and learn how to demonstrate passion through artistic media. Students will have the option to explore two-dimensional art using traditional painting and drawing or three-dimensional constructions.
Architecture
We spend most of our lives in buildings. We work, eat, socialize and go to school in them. So, how did architects start making buildings? How did they learn to make them stronger, bigger and more beautiful? In this course, students will learn how to design buildings, beginning with sketches, and advance to computer-aided design and model-making. From Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater House to Zaha Hadid’s Capital Hill Residence, we will learn about several remarkable residences and the architects who designed them. Anyone who has ever wanted to design a building, read about the Sydney Opera House, or dreamt of visiting the Burj Khalifa, should take this course.
Illustration: The power of images
Art has always been an effective vehicle for humans to convey symbols, ideas and messages. Beginning with a short overview of art throughout history, we will discuss some of the most remarkable artworks and their creators. Using these pieces as inspiration, students will learn how to design original artwork highlighting current events, culture and life. Students will have the option to utilize traditional paints or pencils, and will be free to incorporate other media such as collage, pastels and charcoal.
Campus Life
Life in Peddie’s dormitories is fun and empowering, fostering independence and forging powerful friendships. Our dormitories are an integral part of developing the close-knit community that is a hallmark of the Peddie experience.
Students at the Peddie Summer Academy will live in one of our dormitories alongside academy staff who will supervise and support them as they experience boarding school life. Current Peddie students will serve as student leaders and mentors, offering a genuine first-hand experience. Students will share meals in our dining hall, provided and served by our Peddie Food Service, which provides vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options at all meals.
Students will be assigned to one of our many dorms based on their gender identity. Students are welcome to request a particular roommate, but these requests are not guaranteed. A recommended packing list will be provided upon registration. Throughout the program, the PSA will be a closed campus; requests to leave campus must go through the PSA director. Parents are invited to join us on our final morning. Until then, we encourage students to stay in touch with their parents regularly.
Student Health
Certified medical staff will be on campus for the duration of the program to manage all medications as needed and provide any other care needed by students. All students must have a health insurance policy that includes coverage in New Jersey.
All students must provide proof of vaccination for COVID-19 or an exemption.
Admission to The Peddie School
This program is not intended for students who have already been admitted to Peddie for the 2024-2025 school year.
Attending this program will not impact a student’s application for admission to The Peddie School. For more information about The Peddie School admission process, please visit peddie.org/admission.
Questions?
For questions about Peddie Summer Academy, email summeracademy@peddie.org or call (609) 944-7570.
Experience something new
Peddie Summer Academy is packed full of opportunities through academics, extracurriculars and student life, both on- and off-campus.