Summer enrichment opportunities

The Curriculum Department at Anoka-Hennepin Schools regularly receives information regarding summer enrichment opportunities. The compiled list of opportunities is designed to address the intellectual and creative interests of students.

• North Suburban Summer Academy (NSSA)

• The Bakken Museum
• Camp Invention
• Concordia Language Villages
• Historic Fort Snelling
• International Wolf Center
• Kids’ University (U of M)
• Kids’ University Raptor Camp programs
• The Loft 
• Macalester College iD Tech camps
• Mill City Museum
• Minnesota Children’s Museum
• Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY)
• Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
• Minnesota Opera summer camps
• Minnesota Zoo camps
• Northern Clay Center
• Northwestern Center for Talent Development - Illinois
• Pavek Museum
• The Science Museum of Minnesota
• Vertical Endeavors
• The Works Museum – Engineering Fun

Opportunities available to all students

Young Scientist Roundtable is an opportunity for students, K-12, who are interested in science to attend presentations by scientists in the field. Sessions are held approximately once a month, and most are at Wayzata Central Middle School. There is no charge or registration for this event. Parents are welcome to attend, and unless otherwise communicated, families must provide their own transportation. For specifics and a schedule, see wayzata.k12.mn.us/ysr.

Destination Imagination (DI), an extra-curricular creative problem solving competition is open to students in grades K-12. Teams solve challenges in areas such as engineering, science, technology, performing arts, improvisation and community service. DI teams have up to seven students and spend time working together after school to creatively solve their challenge and develop a performance showing their solution at the regional tournament. Teams are usually facilitated by volunteer team managers. Training for volunteer team managers is provided. To learn more about DI in Anoka-Hennepin schools, contact our district DI Coordinator, Lynn Montgomery at lynn.montgomery@ahschools.us or at 612-670-8281. Also see destinationimagination.org or mndi.org.
 
Anoka-Hennepin Community Education provides a variety of activities available to all students. In addition to catalogs received in the mail, information can be found at ahschools.us/communityeducation or by linking to “Community Ed” at the top of your school’s website.

Opportunities available to students who qualify

Student Creativity Festival (grades three through five) and the Young Authors Conference (grades four and five) are one-day off-site learning experiences available to recommended students. Students who are invited to participate will be notified. See successbeyond.org.

Challenge Reading and Math Plus are programs designed to help meet the needs of talented kindergarten through fifth grade students. These programs are made possible through volunteers. Students are typically recommended for these programs and then invited to participate. Information to families of these students comes through the Talent Development secretary at each school. 

North Suburban Summer Academy offers courses for talented and gifted students. Students who are recommended for this program will be notified in the spring. See nssacademy.com.