The Beacon Summer Bridge Program provides a valuable ‘bridge’ experience for rising 9th graders about to enter Beacon. The program consists of an innovative, challenging interdisciplinary curriculum that gives new students the opportunity to see and understand the wide range of learning experiences they can expect at Beacon. Students have the benefit of spending time with their new peers in small group settings, familiarizing themselves with Beacon’s social, as well as academic, culture. The program truly fits the ethos and educational philosophy of the school.

The Summer Bridge Program uses New York's cultural institutions as a platform for a broader dialogue on how art and culture connect to disciplines such as math, science, literature, and history.  This year’s theme focuses on the question of “What Is?,” a dynamic examination of sound, movement, visual stimulation, and scientific discovery and how these phenomena intersect to produce art, music, drama, literature, and science.

This year’s activities include: creating soundtracks and stories using GarageBand; orchestrating chemical reactions to make paints and art; creating mythical creature puppets; exploring the ‘golden ratio’ all around us; and recreating the sounds and visions of the 'psychedelic era' of the late 60s/early 70s.

Active, experiential learning is key; as part of the 2007 program we will conduct day trips to the Mythic Creatures' exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center, the 'Summer of Love' exhibit at the Whitney Museum, Central Park, and the Westside River Park.

Designed by groups of Beacon teachers across a variety of disciplines, this program seeks to introduce rising 9th graders to the challenges of innovative Beacon curricula. Previous Summer Bridge Programs included visits to MOMA, The Jewish Museum, The Lower East Side Tenement Museum and Lincoln Center.

For more information, contact Ruth Lacey (rlacey@beaconschool.org)
or Kate Reed (kreed@beaconschool.org)