Dear all, It’s hard to believe, but it’s already summer! First of all, congratulations to all the participants and winners in our annual poetry contest on the theme “summer”! See the list of winners and excerpts of their poems here. I have got some inquiries from parents who want to know how to make the summer “most productive” for college application. While this is important, I want to send out a gentle reminder that it’s our children’s mindset, skill set (including important life skills not taught in school), habits, and wellness that are most essential for their long-term happiness and success. In light of that, here are 8 tips for a fun, meaningful and productive summer: Unstructured play time. And for more social-emotional and health benefits, make it with peers and go outdoors! A creative project. It could be writing a story, researching a topic that they’re interested in, or creating a game. Get a job or internship (for older kids), and chores for all of them! The Harvard Grant Study, the longest longitudinal study of humans ever conducted, shows that kids who do chores grow into happier, healthier, and far more successful adults both personally and professionally. And the sooner they help do chores, the better off they are! But why? I want to cite Julie Lythcott-Haims, author of the bestselling book "How to Raise an Adult" and former associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Stanford University, on this topic: "that a roll-up-your-sleeves- and-pitch-in mindset, a mindset that says, there’s some unpleasant work, someone’s gotta do it, it might as well be me, a mindset that says, I will contribute my effort to the betterment of the whole, that that’s what gets you ahead in the workplace.” Serve the community. First, help your child figure out what they are interested in. Second, help them choose a cause and/or an organization that they want to volunteer for, such as healthcare, education, ending poverty and hunger, environment, women’s services, senior citizen services, etc. Younger kids can also help by collecting food and clothing to distribute, cleaning up beaches, etc. Summer camps. With the overwhelming choices, how do parents and students select summer camps? Again, please pick those that align with your child’s passion, and those that encourage creativity, initiative, and intellectual curiosity–key character traits that college and companies are looking for! Although most of our summer camps at NextGen Edu are now sold out, we have recently added a few new sessions for Sci-Fi Fiction, Creating a Youtube Channel, and New York Times STEM contest writing. Check them out! Build a good habit, such as regular exercises, more effective use of screen time, or better sleep! One of our guest speakers, Dr. Eran Magen, gave a parenting workshop on “Helping your child build good habits”. We’ll post the video in the FREE RESOURCES section on the NextGen Edu website soon. Travel. I know many of us have not traveled long-distance during Covid, but even a nearby trip can help! When you travel, turn it into learning opportunities. And remember to be safe! Keep reading and writing!
Have a wonderful summer, Jiang Pu, Ph.D. Founder of NextGen Education |
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