July Experience @ Davidson is a three-week residential program that gives academically motivated rising juniors and seniors in high school the opportunity to learn from full college faculty at Davidson College.  The program endeavors to create an atmosphere that is very much like a standard college experience.  It provides a wonderful opportunity for young people to push themselves academically and get a taste of the type of thinking they will be called upon to do at the college level.

Academics
Students enroll in two courses representing two different subject areas selected from several liberal arts disciplines.  Classes meet for 90 minute periods each weekday with additional laboratory sessions in selected courses.  Professors develop strong relationships with students and are available to meet them outside of class to enhance understanding or pursue additional interests.

Students will receive certificates and their secondary schools will be notified of successfully completed courses.  Coursework is graded on the following system – H (Honors), P (Pass) and F(Failure).

Summer 2008 Courses included: Skulls, Bones, and Clandestine Graves (Anthropology), Genetic Maps and Mood Swings (Biology), The Art of the Short Story (English), The Holocaust: History and Representation (History), Social Movements and Youth (Anthropology), Graphs, Surfaces, and Knots (or how to use crayons, twizzlers, and bubbles to study topology) (Math), Surrounded by Music: Music and Visual Media (Music), Literature and Writing (English)

Co-curricular and Recreational Activity
Students choose from a wide variety of recreational and social activities on campus.  Campus facilities including the pool, fitness center, climbing wall, basketball and tennis courts, and lakefront are available to participants.  Water-skiing, team games, tournaments, dances and talent shows are organized by the Davidson College students who serve as Hall Counselors. Off-campus trips to cinemas and museums are organized according to student interest. 

Activities also include programs on understanding the college admission process and developing your leadership style.

July Experience students visit local attractions such as the U.S. National Whitewater Center - the official Olympic Training Site and home to the USA Canoe and Kayak national governing body, Carowinds Theme Park, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, The Mint Museum of Arts and Crafts, and Discovery Place. 

Campus Life
July Experience students live on single-sex corridors in a co-ed residence hall.  All college buildings, including residence halls, are air-conditioned.  Students take meals in the Vail Commons dining facility and have full access to the E. H. Little Library.  The Alvarez College Union, Baker Sports Complex and nearby Lake Campus are centers for recreational and group activities.

Hall Counselors are upper class students chosen from the Davidson College student body. Hall Counselors assist students in any way possible and are responsible for ensuring that students are aware of and abide by the rules of the program.

One single session takes place each July.  July Experience 2009 is July 5 to July 25.

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