Summer Academic Challenge

Gold Group (7th and 8th Grade)

Spaces for Everyone: An Adventure in Home Design 

This hands-on theme lets students design their ideal “homes” while using STEAM principles. What does a home look like in the past, present and future? Is it a single family home or a multi generational home? They'll explore topics like sustainable energy, materials, and environmental impact, and use tech tools to create smart home features. Students will work in teams to solve real-world challenges like space and structure, while considering global issues such as climate change and housing shortages. The arts will help them design creative, functional spaces, and math will be used for planning and budgeting. By the end, students will gain valuable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking, while being inspired to make a difference in their communities.

Green Group (9th and 10th Grade)

Ripple effect: Exploring the Connection Between Salmon, Water, and the Community of Puget Sound

The focus will be on the rich history of Puget Sound and Tacoma, emphasizing the significance of fishing and water rights in the community. Students will explore the life cycle and habitat of salmon, investigating how water quality, climate change, and human activities affect this vital food source for local wildlife and communities. Through this immersive experience, students will connect their learning to the challenges and opportunities within their own community, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental stewardship and cultural heritage in the Pacific Northwest.

Blue group (11th and 12th Grade)

Keep it Movin’

Through hands-on projects and collaboration, students will engage with STEAM concepts as they explore the evolution of transportation, from horse-drawn carriages to modern technologies and future innovations. The course will cover key historical milestones and technological advancements that shaped our communities, with a focus on current and future local transit systems.

Summer Academic Challenge (SAC) is a tuition-free four-week enrichment program for Tacoma and greater Pierce County students in grades 7 to 12. With an innovative Project-Based STEAM curriculum, students explore themes in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics, and see how the subjects they study in school play out in the world around them. Classes are project-based and require teamwork and collaboration. In addition to time on campus, whether in the classroom, lab, outdoors, or in the library, students attend workshops on writing and oral presentation skills, and participate in field trips and special events. Students participating in the program gain confidence, expand their interests, and become better prepared for the next school year and to meet their long-term academic goals. In fact, over a six-year period (2014–20) at Puget Sound, the one-year retention rate for former Summer Academic Challenge participants (89%) was significantly better than the rate for all other first-year students (83%), including 100% retention of students who participated in two or more Challenges.

Eligibility

• Students must be currently attending a public school.
• Students must be from underrepresented minoritized groups, first generation college students, and/or from underrepresented socio-economic status as determined by the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch program.
• Students with an interest in developing their skills in science and technology study material centered on a theme that changes from year to year.
• Students must be able committed to attending all 20 days of Summer Academic Challenge (Mid June to Mid July).  Full attendance and participation is important, as this program is collaborative and project-based.

Themes from past years have included robotics, salmon survival, flight, and sustainability. Students study specific mathematical and scientific topics that support the theme and relate those topics to larger questions. Over a four week period, they attend classes, build models, execute computer programs, conduct laboratory experiments, and participate in field trips.

Teachers are drawn from both the community and the university. Current university students serve as mentors and teaching assistants to the middle and high school students participating in the program.

Financial Aid Opportunity for College

Puget Sound will provide a package that meets the demonstrated financial need of Summer Academic Challenge students who wish to attend the University of Puget Sound if they meet the following criteria: 1) Successfully complete Summer Academic Challenge 2) Graduate from high school; 3) Apply to, are admitted, and enroll at the University of Puget Sound.

See the short video created during the 23rd year of the Summer Academic Challenge for student reflections on the program and to learn more about what participating in this program can do for you.

If you have any questions, please email access@pugetsound.edu or call 253.879.2827.

Students were engaged across grade levels with a focus on technology, social justice, and community issues while using STEAM principles. Sr. High school students learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create websites addressing local social justice topics, combining coding with research and teamwork.  

Middle School Students studied the evolution of transportation, examining technological advances and environmental impacts. Key themes included coding, social justice, and sustainability, equipping students with valuable skills and a strong sense of community engagement.

Quotes from students, TA’s, teachers and parents/guardians:

• "My student LOVES the community of students who attend in and participate in the SAC program."
• "I really enjoyed being a part of the UPS community, working with our TAs and getting to know students from the Tacoma area."
• "The teacher was very understanding, organized, empathetic, and supportive as both an instructor for students and as a coworker. She helped me realize my potential and my strong suits as well as support me when I needed an extra push or encouragement."
• "The kindness, the helpfulness, and the understanding (TAs)"