High school and middle school students can get a jump on their summer plans by attending Phillips Academy's 22nd annual Summer Opportunities Fair on Sunday, Jan. 22. The event, to be held in the Smith Center on the Phillips Academy campus in Andover, is open to the general public from noon until 3 p.m.
This year's fair also will provide an increased emphasis on opportunities for a "gap year," which is a year high school graduates can use to pursue other experiences before going off to college. A gap-year information session, featuring speaker Jane Sarouhan, will be offered from noon to 12:30 p.m.
Admission to both the fair and the information session is free.
The fair gives students and their families a chance to meet with representatives from more than 90 local, national and international summer programs, as well as gap-year programs. Among the programs that will be represented at the fair are those that focus on academic enrichment, outdoor adventure, international homestay, travel, internships, community service, camps, arts and sports for middle and high school students.
One PA student who took advantage of a summer opportunity last year was Rashana Shabazz '13, who spent a month working in Shanghai through an internship program sponsored by Zoma Worldwide.
"The program is very different from (others) because you live in an apartment with other students instead of with a host family, and you go to work every day from 9-4 instead of just attending classes," said Shabazz in a release. "You feel as if you are living independently abroad because you eat your own lunch with colleagues, buy your own groceries, do your own laundry, and get to experience what it truly feels like to live and work in China."
Participants in her program could also attend seminars by executives from major corporations, take field trips to various cultural sites in China, and meet with students from Fudan University. "Working in Shanghai, China is an amazing opportunity to have while still in high school and I fully enjoyed it," said Shabazz. "I'm really happy that I spent my time abroad working and recommend it for anyone interested in business culture and/or Chinese culture."
The Smith Center is located off Route 28 near the intersection of Salem Street on the Phillips Academy campus. The event is sponsored by the Phillips Academy Summer Opportunities Office and the Parents of Students of Phillips Academy.
For more information, call the Summer Opportunities Office at 978-749-4480 or visit andover.edu/summerops/fair.
