How the Program Works

Program Overview

For Young Scholars Discovery, students

Select one course designed to encourage creative reasoning and problem solving.
Determine whether to reside on campus or commute from home.

For two extraordinary weeks, Discovery scholars meet, live, and study with other talented middle school students in many of the same world-class facilities used by Maryland’s full-time college students. Scholars attend class, enjoy field trips and guest speakers, participate in coursework and projects, and engage with other students during seminars and social activities.

This program was so much fun! I wish it was a month! Disc student

It was a really fun and I definitely gained a lot from it! The teachers and students there were really nice and I appreciate all the hard work that was put into this fun program. Disc student

Course Overview

Discovery courses:

Classes meet every day, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Field trips and/or guest speakers broaden understanding through career discovery.
Expect to purchase books, class packets, or classroom supplies.
Course syllabi provide information on these additional requirements.

For complete information on courses, click here.

I highly recommend this program to all the students who are academically aspired and who are considering college in their future. Disc parent

I can’t say enough positive things about our daughter’s experience. Given that this was her first long-term away camp, we (and she) were a little bit nervous about how it would go. It was a wonderful experience for her and she learned so much academically as well as personally. We hope to send her again next summer! Disc parent

Residential or Commuter

Residential Discovery Scholars live in University residence halls with bedroom occupancy ranging from 1 to 4 middle school students of the same gender. Residential students are supervised by program mentors who accompany students on weekend field trips, social activities, seminars, and other events. Students enjoy meals in the University’s dining hall or at program events. For complete information, click here.

Commuter Discovery Scholars live at home and travel to and from campus on a daily basis. Commuters join all students for lunch at the campus dining hall and participate in the Kids for Peace afternoon seminar. For complete information, click here.

My daughter was very impressed with not only the faculty of UMD, but she was really influenced by her college mentor. What an amazing group of leaders. She is anticipating returning next year. Disc parent

Seminars & Social Activities

Learning continues beyond the classroom with interactive afternoon seminars and social activities.

Afternoon Seminar

Discovery scholars participate in a series of interactive seminars presented by Kids for Peace. Middle school meet every afternoon (Monday – Friday), 2 – 4 p.m., and share in fun and challenging activities, discussing topics such as diplomacy, globalization, world geography, and who they are as Americans. Through lively games and real-life scenarios, the Kids for Peace experience helps build intercultural understanding, conflict resolution, and cross-cultural collaboration. Founded in 2001, Kids for Peace runs camps and workshops based on the underlying premise “that in order to enjoy a more peaceful world, we must first understand how other people live, what they believe, and what factors in their daily lives affect the way in which they look at the world.”

Social Activities

This summer, Discovery scholars explore what the University of Maryland has to offer! Evening and weekend activities include a weekend day-trip to Washington, DC, pool parties, laser tag, movie nights, interactive games at the Terp Zone, and more.

This place was like home. Everyone was amazing. Disc student

Program Schedule

For an overview of the two-week program, click here. At check-in (Sunday, July 14), Discovery scholars are given a more detailed schedule.

The camp experience was the best. I had a wonderful time. I want to come back next year. Love you guys. Disc student

Program Staff

Eric Johnson, Associate Director

With more than 10 years of career experience in higher education, Eric provides valuable leadership and experience to the Office of Extended Studies. Eric has a background in both student affairs and academic affairs and has made it his mission to provide students with a meaningful, memorable and fun summer experience. Having earned both an undergraduate and master’s degree from the University of Maryland, Eric is a true Maryland TERP. He also teaches Introduction to the University to incoming Maryland freshmen, empowering students with the tools to successfully transition into the college environment. Eric enjoys working with students from all over the world to help them "Get Ready, Get Started, and Get Ahead!"

Chris McKeown, Program Coordinator

Chris brings a unique perspective and diverse skillset to the Office of Extended Studies. As an undergraduate at the University of Maryland he was both an Orientation Advisor and a Resident Assistant. After completing his undergraduate degree he served for over 3 years as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, spending much of his time teaching at the village high school and running programs for local youths. He has transitioned back to his alma mater and now wants to provide students from all walks of life with a rich and rewarding experience at the University of Maryland.

Mentors

Selected University of Maryland students serve as mentors, and work under the guidance of a professional staff member of Office of Extended Studies who lives on campus with the students. The mentors supervise students in the dormitories to ensure safe, appropriate behavior. Mentors also supervise activities, encourage students to explore the University and accompany those students to dinner who are uncomfortable going alone or cannot find a group to eat with, and provide participants with an insider’s view of what college life is like. The mentors live in the residence hall with the program participants and are responsible for responding to any situations that may arise, and for doing nightly curfew checks. Students will be responsible for attending classes on their own and for productively managing their time with minimal supervision during the day. This allows participants to explore the independence of college life while still having a modicum of supervision and guidelines in place.

FUN! Mentors were awesome and I loved my course! Disc student

Both of my daughters had the experiences of a lifetime. They made wonderful friends and came home more mature and confident-both socially and academically. I was surprised by how emotional the good-byes were on the last day, and all their reminiscences were happy ones. They loved their professors Disc student

Young Scholars Discovery