High School Students Get a Taste of Campus Life with Explo Summer Program

A diversified summer study program that exposes high school students to life on a college campus has attracted 1,300 youths from around the world to classes that run through July and August at Yale University.

The Exploration Summer Program - nicknamed Explo - is a tuition-based program for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors who hail from 30 different countries as well as the United States, including 60 commuters from Greater New Haven and Fairfield County. The program includes studies in acting and directing, existential philosophy, chemistry and performance poetry. The first session runs from June 29 to July 19, and the second session is from July 20 through August 9.

For each of the past 18 years, gifted high school students from across the nation and around the world have taken part in the program originally held at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Mass. This year’s two three-week programs held at Yale are designed to prepare students for college life and offer them the opportunity to take classes in areas that they might not otherwise be exposed to in school. Much of the program’s success stems from the excitement and enthusiasm of its teachers, who are recruited from top colleges and universities, including Yale, Brown, New York University and Princeton.

Several scholarships to Explo were offered this year to allow New Haven area students to attend. While attending Explo, students reside in the Old Campus freshman dormitories and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner at Yale Commons.

The program is hosted by Yale College Conference Services. For more information on Explo, please call Bill Clough, program director, at 203-432-1777.