Summer Program

The summer program is a six-week, full-time, academic program held at the University High School campus. Students spend three summers gaining the skills necessary for success in a rigorous college preparatory high school program. Each day is divided into a morning of academics including math, language arts, science, international languages and social studies and an afternoon of electives including art, dance, drama, sports, computers, music, health education, and public speaking. Rising eighth graders take a special course on applying to high schools. Rising ninth graders take an environmental education class. The academic program in the summer is unique because the majority of the classroom teachers are high school and college students who have recently studied the very same courses they are teaching. 

When they are not in class, students participate in weekly activities that celebrate academic, athletic and artistic achievement including Olympics, our annual field day; SB Café, a forum for students to perform poetry, music or spoken word; Science Day, an interactive science lab where students conduct wacky experiments; Casino Night, a chance for students to put their study of probability to use; and the Talent Show, an opportunity for students to share their special interests in the performing arts. In addition, students head into the city of San Francisco for educational field trips and community service opportunities. Celebration, our culminating event, comes at the end of the summer and is an evening filled with student performances, speeches, and displays of art and academic work. It is literally a celebration of all of the teaching and learning that has occurred over the summer.

Finally, our students revel in simply being a member of the Summerbridge community.  All-School-Meetings  allow the students, teachers and administrators to gather for skits, cheers, announcements, celebrations of achievement and birthdays, the word of the day and the presentation of the coveted "spirit stick," a symbol of scholastic achievement, leadership, and community contributions. Warmth, compassion, inclusiveness and a sense of family infuse each event, tradition, and celebration.