Summer Camps & Programs

Program Description

Sarah Lawrence College

Summer Programs for High School Students
Bronxville, New York

		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Liz Irmiter
Director of Special Programs
Sarah Lawrence College
1 Mead Way
Bronxville, New York 10708-5999
914-395-2693
http://www.slc.edu/high-school/Summer_2008_Hi
gh_School_Programs.php

Type of Program: Residential and evening intensive courses in eight fields of study
Participants: High school students entering grades 10, 11, and 12 and graduating seniors
Program Dates: Six-week course beginning in late June and three-week courses beginning in July; other programs offered in fall and spring
Head of Program: Liz Irmiter, Director of Special Programs

Location

The College is located in southern Westchester County, bordering the communities of Yonkers and Bronxville, New York, and just 15 miles north of midtown Manhattan. The Sarah Lawrence College campus occupies 41 wooded acres. Ivy-covered, Tudor-style, and contemporary buildings house classrooms, faculty offices, and students.

Background and Philosophy

The Sarah Lawrence College Programs for High School Students give young people the opportunity to enhance their academic experience and explore their passions in a supportive, noncompetitive environment. Students enjoy individual meetings with their instructors, a distinguishing component of the unique Sarah Lawrence education.

Program Offerings

Course offerings vary each year, and classes are limited in size so that students can receive individual attention, meeting one-on-one with their instructors. Offerings in 2008 include the following courses:
Sarah Lawrence College & The International Film Institute of New York’s Six-Week Summer Filmmaking Intensive (Six-week residential, June 22–August 2) Students gain hands-on experience and instruction in all aspects of filmmaking, focusing on four core elements: writing for the screen, directing, production, and postproduction. Classroom lectures feature hands-on camera work augmented by special guest speakers and behind-the-scenes visits to Manhattan production studios and editing facilities. Classwork concludes with a seminar on the topic of “What’s Next,” featuring one-on-one career guidance. After students shoot three film exercises focused on different filmmaking techniques, they are ready to write, direct, produce, shoot, and edit their own short videos. They choose the format—narrative, documentary, or experimental—and may choose to stick to a script (with actors, costumes, and a controlled set) or approach their shoot with the spirit of improvisation. They are the director; they call the shots. The final product—to which they own the exclusive rights—is a completed short that is ready for their professional portfolio, graduate school application, or Web distribution.
Sarah Lawrence College’s Summer in the City (Three-week residential, July 13–August 2) Using New York City as the backdrop, students take classes about the history, literature, science, and theater of New York. This exciting new program provides an opportunity to discover the city that 8 million people call home while living just 30 minutes away on the beautiful Sarah Lawrence College campus. Throughout the three weeks, students travel into the city, visiting theaters, neighborhoods, and landmarks that give them a deeper understanding of the subjects they study in history, theater, creative writing, and literature.
Young Artists Summer Music Intensive (Three-week residential, July 13–August 2) Expanding upon existing skills while exploring new concepts, students are organized into ensembles and assigned a faculty member coach. Students hone their performance skills in daily master classes and a final concert experience. Classes in jazz improvisation, composition, and keyboard skills promote the kind of creative musical thinking necessary for today’s musicians. There are also introduction to music theory, aural skills, and sight reading classes.
Concentrating on the Visual: Painting, Sculpture, Watercolor, Printmaking (Three-week residential, July 13–August 2) Students focus on sculpture, painting, or printmaking. Courses are offered in painting (experimental painting, variations in aqua media), printmaking, and sculpture (techniques, methods, and concepts). In addition, each day begins with a drawing class. Whether working to build a portfolio for college admission or examining their artistic spirit, this course challenges students to learn, explore, and create. There is a class trip to a local museum in the first week of the program.
Creation and Invention: Summer Theatre Intensive (Three-week residential, July 13–August 2) Students participate in an exciting and rigorous program that includes acting, movement, playwriting, and creating original work. In acting, students discover the creative state where the individual actor feels free to explore, take risks, and make mistakes in an environment free of judgment. They delve into the craft of the playwright through a series of exercises that experiment with form, character, and conflict. They also take part in the dynamics of a creative ensemble that works toward the development of a “work in progress” performance piece. If students love the theater, this course gives them the concentration and freedom they need. There is a class trip to the Museum of Modern Art in the first week of the course.
Cryptology: The Science and Art of Secret Communication (Three-week nonresidential, July 14–July 31, Mondays and Thursdays, 6–8:30 p.m.) As society becomes ever more reliant on the Internet and the World Wide Web, cryptology has begun to play a crucial role in everyday life. This course teaches students how they can send and receive e-mail and text messages without fear that other people are eavesdropping, who else knows what Web pages students visit, how they can trust that a Web site or e-mail was actually written by its purported author, whether they should be willing to use their credit card or Social Security number online, and whether cryptology can help establish a cashless society. To answer these questions, instructors go back in time and begin with a historical survey of cryptological techniques from ancient times up to World War II and Alan Turing’s code-breaking efforts against the German Enigma machine. Students consider how computers have changed the theory and practice of cryptology, facilitating both cryptography (encryption) and cryptanalysis (decryption), and discuss how the advent of computer networks and the Web have ushered in an era of new challenges and new opportunities in cryptology. They also consider applications of modern cryptology to several hot-button issues, ranging from cyberterrorism to spam and viruses, and conclude with a discussion of the ramifications of quantum mechanics on the future of cryptology.
Telling Stories for the Screen (Three-week nonresidential, July 14–July 31, Mondays and Thursdays, 6–8:30 p.m.) Students introduce themselves to the craft of screenwriting by telling an original story from their own unique perspective. They examine concepts and techniques relevant to screenwriting for features or shorts, including three-act structure, characters, dialogue, action, and format. In addition to exploring different approaches to narrative screenwriting, the course emphasizes individual development. Through lectures, screenings, writing exercises, and one-on-one sessions, student are given the tools to develop their writer’s voice and to begin work on their own screenplay.
Free Verse Poetry: Reining In and Letting Loose (Three-week nonresidential, July 14–July 31, Mondays and Thursdays, 6–8:30 p.m.) Students discover the uniqueness of contemporary American free-verse poetry. Workshops focus on how to use essential components of the poem, from emotional impulse and tone to metaphor and transitions, in their own work. Through readings, in-class writing exercises, and workshopping, they learn how to clear a path to transform their personal views into creative, effective poetry.
Precise Stories and Creative Essays: Writing Across Your Life (Three-week nonresidential, July 14–July 31, Mondays and Thursdays, two sessions: 4–6:30 p.m. and 7–9:30 p.m.) Using examples from memoir, expository essays, and short fiction, this course helps students hone their skills as writers of the personal essay. While the College gives students a chance to work on their Common Application essay questions, this class is for any writer who wants to improve their creativity and precision. Classes include theater, in-class writing assignments, and lots of time set aside to workshop students’ writing.

Enrollment

The number of students enrolled in each program varies. Sarah Lawrence College’s Summer in the City enrolls 15 students. Summer Filmmaking Intensive has sixteen spots. Summer Music Intensive registers 30 students total, split into classes. Painting, Sculpture, Watercolor, Printmaking enrolls 48 students total, 12 per medium. Summer Theatre Intensive has 32 students total, 16 per instructor. Telling Stories for the Screen accommodates 15 students. Free Verse Poetry enrolls 15 students. Precise Stories and Creative Essays works with 30 students total, 15 per section.

Daily Schedule

Daily schedules vary according to the individual programs. Interested students should visit the Web site at http://www.slc.edu/high-school/Summer_2008_High_School_Programs.php for tentative daily schedules.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Students living on campus enjoy evening and weekend programs and trips coordinated and run by a staff of residential counselors living on campus. Evening programs include community-building activities, film viewings, and other social events. Weekend trips include visits to museums, parks, concerts, and New York City neighborhoods (Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Harlem, Lincoln Center, Little Italy, Times Square, and more).
    On the final Friday of the program, all of the programs celebrate the completion of their summer intensives with a recital, exhibition, and performance of their work to take place throughout the day. Parents and friends are welcome to attend these activities.

Facilities

In addition to the round-tabled classrooms, Sarah Lawrence has outstanding library, performing arts, music, art, science, computing, and sports facilities as well as a new 60,000-square-foot visual arts center.

Staff

Courses are taught by faculty members who are chosen for their intellectual excellence, their unqualified commitment to helping students discover and develop their potential, and their understanding of adolescent development, needs, and abilities.

Costs

The application fee for all high school courses is $25. For residential programs, a deposit of $250 is due by the registration deadline. Other costs vary by course, though all meal plans include breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
    For the six-week residential program, housing is $1700, and the meal plan is $945. For the three-week residential programs, housing and meals cost $1450.
    Tuition is $4875 for Summer Filmmaking Intensive. Tuition is $2750 for Summer in the City, $2450 for the Summer Music Intensive and Summer Theatre Intensive programs, and $2500 (including most supplies) for the Summer Visual Arts Intensive. Tuition for the three-week nonresidential Telling Stories, Free Verse Poetry, and Precise Stories and Creative Essays programs is $1500.

Transportation

Sarah Lawrence College is accessible from train and bus stations as well as by car.

Application Timetable

Spaces are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration deadline is June 20, 2008.