Summer Component

Summer at UW-Superior

Upward Bound’s six-week residential Summer Component, operating Monday through Friday, exposes students to a simulated university environment and helps them develop the academic skills and personal motivation they’ll need to succeed in post-secondary education. 

The goals of the summer component are to provide participants with a comprehensive program of rigorous academic instruction and enrichment, targeted tutoring, academic and personal counseling, college and career guidance and planning, and exposure to educational, cultural and extra-curricular activities. 

The summer component is scheduled to coincide with the University’s summer session; this ensures that the campus will be active, and the facilities are open and available to Upward Bound students. Students will be housed on the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus at Crownhart or Curran-McNeill Ostrander Halls. 

Classes are offered on two levels or tracks (I and II) and will cover the following core subjects:

  • Mathematics
  • Composition
  • Literature
  • Laboratory science
  • Foreign language

Theme-Based Curriculum

  • Each spring, instructional staff members will choose an overall theme that will resonate with students and allow for cross-disciplinary study
  • The instructional staff brainstorm how each subject (mathematics, language arts, social studies, science and the arts) can enable students to view the theme from a distinct perspective
  • In the development of syllabi, instructors will include concepts and knowledge about the summer component theme by developing a series of guiding questions ranging from simple to complex. This will effectively cultivate critical and creative thinking skills by helping students develop strategies for inquiry, analysis and understanding
  • Students are evaluated on their proficiency in applying concepts to complex problems or issues

The overall theme that is used for the summer component is that of change. Based on this overall theme, the integrated curriculum is as follows:

Mathematics

Change as it relates to algebraic equations, ratios, graphs and statistics.

Fine Arts

Cultural change as it relates to art forms, music, dance, and technology.

Language Arts

Changes in literature based on cultural eras, women’s movements and civil rights movements.

Foreign Language

Spanish, French, and German: student written word and conversational.

Science

Change as it relates to evolution and adapting to an environment over time: habitats, eating patterns and reproduction.

Recreational and cultural activities are an integral part of the summer component. Students participate in a physical education class, which includes a host of individual and team sports (swimming, tennis, volleyball, soccer, basketball, racquetball, bowling and billiards). Cultural development activities include attending an age-appropriate University-sponsored dance, theater production, and field trips, which include tours of museums, colleges and a research experience at an environmental learning center. 

Upward Bound Summer Component Daily Schedule

TimeAgendaWeeks 1 and 2Weeks 3 and 4
7 a.m. – 8 a.m.Wake up
8 a.m. – 9 a.m.Breakfast
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.ClassesComposition
Writing A
Writing B
Writing B		Algebra I
Geometry
Algebra II
Higher Math
12 p.m. – 1 p.m.Lunch
1 p.m. – 4 pm. ClassesInterpersonal TheaterGerman
Spanish
4 p.m. – 5 p.m. Daily group meeting
5 p.m. – 6 p.m.Dinner
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.Evening activities
9 p.m. – 10 p.m. Floor reflections, tutor/mentor meeting 
10 p.m.Lights out
Week 5Science Camp in Wascott, WI

The summer component concludes with an Upward Bound awards ceremony.  The awards ceremony recognizes the efforts and achievements of students. Parents, teachers, University officials and community members are invited to share the students’ accomplishments. Each student receives $60 for successful participation in the summer component. As in the academic year, stipends are pro-rated so that students only receive a stipend for the required activities they attend and assignments they complete.

Students earn 1/2 credit toward their high school graduation for each year they participate in both the academic and summer components.