junior program summer site : conversations : first session



	brian from florida (7/25) Brian, a 7th grader, is back for his second summer at the Junior Program (and is attending both sessions). He's interested in economics and crime scene investigation, and appreciates that Explo courses allow students to "learn in such a fun and interactive way". Is this your first summer at Explo? No, this is my second summer. How do you like living on West Campus this year? I think it’s a big difference from living on Main Campus, but it’s still really fun because we get to do things that Main Campus people only dream about. Like what? We had this thing called the “West Campus Olympics,” which was just a series of games that were really fun. We had “WestFest,” which was like a trust walk thing, and we got ice cream at the end -- it was really cool. We get a little more freedom as seventh graders. We’re just allowed to do a few more things, like on trips and stuff. Seventh graders on trips actually get to go by themselves around some of the places, like Canobie Lake or Water Country. We can walk around with our friends without a staff member with us and we just have to check in with a staff member every hour. What have been some of your favorite trips this summer? Hmm. . . well, Canobie Lake was really fun, especially this year since I could go and hang out with my friends and we would just check in every hour. I also enjoyed the Museum of Science -- that's also one of my favorite trips. What do they have there? They have, like, everything. They have really cool high-tech stuff and old-fashioned stuff. It’s all science and you can learn all sorts of stuff there, but it’s the fun, interactive type of learning. There’s a mathematical exhibit and you can go in and see how physics and math work; it was really cool. They also had a laser exhibit, too. Are there any new trips you’re hoping to try this summer? Well, I’d really like to try to go on “Old, New, and Barbecue”. I’ve heard that’s a really good trip. You first start out at a sort of high-tech museum, and then you eat at a barbecue place, which is really cool. My friend said the food was really good there. Then you go to the Harvard Museum [of Natural History] to look at old rocks and stuff. How is the food at Explo? It’s pretty good. We have a cookout every week, and the cookouts are really good. There are hot dogs, burgers. . . They’re also really good for people that are vegetarian and stuff. They have a good selection of like, tofu and vegetables. It’s really good. How are your courses going this summer? My courses this summer are extremely fun. I’m taking “CSI: Explo” and I get to be a lawyer in it. I really like being a lawyer. I’m also taking “Explo Isles”, where we create our own island. What have you been doing in “CSI: Explo”? We’ve been doing little games and stuff to test our ability at detective work. We’ve picked which jobs we want to do and stuff. It’s really open, and we can all talk to each other about it. . . . And in “Explo Isles”? We’ve started thinking about the type of island that we’re going to be creating -- its economy, the government, the climate, what it’s going to look like, who’s going to live there. It’s really cool. What were some of the decisions your class made? We decided that it was going to have a Mediterranean, temperate climate. We also made a bunch of little islands surrounding one big island. The people live on the little islands, and the big island is where the economy is centered. What seemed appealing about those two courses that influenced you to choose them? I’m interested in economics and stuff like that, and it’s cool to create your own thing where people can live. I really enjoy that. With CSI, I really enjoy detective work and stuff like that. In CSI, you can be like a forensic scientist and just study blood, or you can be someone that just asks questions. What do you like about courses at Explo? In Explo courses, you learn things, but you learn in such a fun and interactive way. In school, you’re just sitting down and listening to the teacher. At Explo, you get to get up and do things. It’s just such a good way to learn! How is Explo different from school or other summer programs? Explo is said to be one of the only places in the world where there are no bullies, and I’ve come to believe that, because Explo is a place where you can be anyone and people still appreciate you for whoever you are. Like, at school, people aren’t treated as well as here at Explo. People appreciate me at Explo, and it just makes me feel good about myself. Do you think it’s easy to make friends here? Yes, very easy. You can’t not make friends here. There’s always someone that has the same interests as you. There’s a diverse group of people -- people from all over the place. I’ve met people from China, Korea, Russia, England, Australia, Germany, Mexico, and all over the United States. It’s a really fun place to meet new people. It’s cool because it’s fun to see how different cultures are and different languages and stuff. If someone reading this were thinking about going to Explo next year, what would you say? I would say, “Yes, come to Explo! It’s really fun, no matter who you are. You’re going to have a great time.” I would probably choose this summer program over any other camp. What type of person would do well at Explo? I think anyone can do well at Explo. Everybody is a friend here at Explo. What would be a good mascot for Explo? I’m going to have to go with an orange and green smiley face. That really represents friendship and appreciation. You can’t get that anywhere else as much as you get it here. It would be orange and green because orange is the color of Exploration, and green represents the Junior Program, and they also look very good together. more conversations > first session \| second session