Often parents of high school students, mainly grade 10 and 11, come to us with a question, “How can my child build his/her profile outside academics?”. But the answer isn’t always that simple. One shouldn’t blindly enroll into a bunch of activities because they would “look good on the CV”, but need to be driven by a passion, cause, or motivation. You need to think about that project, or how that internship will add to your experience in the long run.

But one thing that most students should pursue in their high school are summer enrichment programs.

What are summer enrichment programs?

Basically, summer enrichment programs refer to any course, summer school, or project undertaken over and above classroom learning. These program help add value to a student’s field of interest by giving a more in-depth knowledge about the subject. Mostly, it includes experiential learning, working on practical projects, and learning from industry professionals or experienced faculty to get a good idea about the subject.

Here I have tried to club down some summer enrichment programs in India that you can focus on to build a holistic profile.

1. Young Technology Scholars 

Plaksha University has set up a summer program for high school students called Young Technology Scholars (YTS). YTS is a two-week intensive summer program where students will be taking part in activities involving real-world engineering and problem-solving. This program involves hands-on learning and interdisciplinary coursework, where students will learn how to use technology to solve complex problems under the guidance of faculty members. This program generally commences in the beginning of June.

Application Deadline: April 3, 2022

2. Young Scholars Program

YSP is Ashoka University’s summer program for high school students. With interdisciplinary coursework taught by Ashoka’s renowned faculty, this programme introduces students to the world of liberal arts and sciences. It is a certified 5-day online programme, usually conducted in the month of May, where students get a chance to explore 10 different disciplines through practical learning. The programme includes a range of activities including lectures, workshops, discussion groups, project-work, presentations and performances. 

Application Deadline: April 10, 2022

3. Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC)

YLAC is focussed on providing a platform for young students to get a glimpse of the policy making process and also be informed about the developments in the society. Some of its well known programs include Counter Speech Fellowship and Young Researchers for Social Impact. This year too, the program is set to be conducted online in the months of May-June.

Application Deadline: varies by program

4. Inomi prepLABS

Helping students build a project in their field of interest was the idea behind prepLABS. This two week summer program connects high school students with industry professionals where they learn the basics of the subject and plan and execute a project.

Here are 7 Pathways at Inomi prepLABS that you can explore in 2022:

Academic Research

This pathway is the perfect way to get a glimpse of the academic world. Here, you start from learning the basics of research and then go on to build your own research question while selecting the tools for conducting your research. You will also get to learn how to analyze arguments and construct your own. This prepLAB not only builds your analytical and logical skills but also enhances your critical thinking abilities. 

Here are some examples of academic research papers published by our students: “The Plague Among the Students” and “LGBTQIA+ Youth and Stress”

Animation

If you are someone who wants to experiment with creating and telling stories using graphics, then Animation is the pathway for you! Here, you will learn to use softwares like Autodesk Maya, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop and create your own 2D animation clip. Additionaly, you can use this clip to build your design portfolio for applying to design colleges in the future.

Automation with IOT

This prepLAB is designed for all those thinkering minds who are curious to build things from scratch. Automation with IOT helps you learn the fundamentals of building circuits and designing a working project with that knowledge. This prepLAB will give you an exposure into the life of an engineer!

“Other than a very interactive learning experience, all the tutors of the course were always open to queries and proved to be super helpful throughout the program. The best part for me was that no prerequisite knowledge was required for the course you are choosing and everything will be taught from the basics hence promoting better understanding.”

Aryan Arora, Grade 12

Film-Making 

Before diving into writing your story, shooting it, and editing it, it is important to learn what makes a film ‘great’. Mentors in this prepLAB are looking forward to conversing with students on the story and execution of various short films and simultaneously, helping them shape their own story into a short film! 

Watch the short films created by students at prepLABS, which where later presented in the Footprint Film Festival!

Alone | Trapped | The Discordant Note | Sincerely, Me | Explorer | Locked Down | Masti Makers

Stocks and Investing

This prepLAB is for students who are keen on making a career in finance and investment or learning about the basics of investment strategies. You will be able to create your own real time stock portfolio, analyse and anticipate the market trends, and make your buy/sell decisions under the guidance of the industry expert.

P.S. Listen from the faculty what you an expect to learn from the prepLAB.

Podcast

Experts forecast that the number of podcast listeners will surpass 160 million in 2023 after increases of around 20 million each year! So, if you are interested in knowing more about this industry and how you can create a podcast of your own, this prepLAB will teach you just that. Learn the basics like episode arc, recording your content, creating a trailer, and releasing your podcast on well known platforms like Spotify and Anchor.

Last year, our students created some exciting podcasts like, “Simplicity of Life, Life Through the Frosted Glass”, “Flawless”, “Coping During COVID”, and “Matinee”.

Journalism

What is news? How do you tell a story without biases? How do you make sure your source of information is credible? 

If you are curious about the happenings around you and have a knack for communication, you should consider participating in the Journalism prepLAB this summer. Here, you will learn how to communicate information to the general public while publishing your own news site! Students who are interested in building on their communication and writing skills will hugely benefit from this prepLAB.

The concept of taking summer enrichment programs is still in its nascent stage in India. But one cannot ignore the value and exposure these projects and programs add to a student’s profile. So, if you are a high school student, I would highly suggest you think about what you are going to do this summer.

Simran Kaur

An Ashoka alumnus with over 4 years experience in career and college counseling, Simran leads Digital Marketing at Inomi. She provides support across business, technology and other domains in undergraduate and postgraduate admissions across US, Canada, UK and Europe. Simran also supports students in managing projects and profiles.