Picture this: It’s 3:30 PM on a summer afternoon, and children are climbing into cars with huge smiles stretched across their faces, chattering excitedly about their day. These aren’t kids returning from a typical camp or activity—they’re students who just completed a full day of academic learning combined with enriching activities. Yet as Megan Colvin, co-director of SOAR, observes, “Most of the kids come away without even thinking they’re at summer school. They think they’re at camp… [they] get into the car at the end of the day with huge smiles on their faces and talking about how much fun they had all day in school.”
This is the magic of Eagle Hill’s SOAR summer program, where traditional notions of summer school are turned upside down, creating an environment where learning feels like adventure and academic growth happens through joy.
The Eagle Hill Difference: Learning Through Play
What transforms reluctant learners into enthusiastic participants? The answer lies in Eagle Hill’s innovative approach to education. “Teachers do an incredible job of making sure that everything’s multisensory and game focused and that they’re up and moving,” explains Colvin. Many of the students who come from outside of Eagle Hill “don’t even realize the amount of learning they’re doing because it is so interactive and fun.”
This multisensory approach isn’t just about keeping kids engaged, it’s about meeting students with language-based learning disabilities exactly where they are. When learning involves movement, games, and hands-on activities, abstract concepts become understandable, and challenging material becomes accessible. Students who might struggle in traditional classroom settings suddenly find themselves succeeding, building confidence alongside academic skills.
Academic Growth Through Adventure
The SOAR program seamlessly blends rigorous morning academics with afternoon adventures that reinforce learning in real-world contexts. Students might practice reading comprehension through treasure hunts, develop math skills through cooking projects, or strengthen executive function through collaborative games. This integration ensures that learning doesn’t stop when the textbooks close, it continues through every activity and interaction.
The beauty of this approach is that students don’t compartmentalize their learning. Skills developed in morning reading sessions carry over to afternoon problem-solving activities. Communication strategies practiced in language arts become tools for navigating social situations during recreational time. The entire day becomes a playground of learning opportunities.
The CIT Program: Leadership in Action
Perhaps nowhere is the program’s commitment to growth more evident than in its new Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program. “What we wanted to do was focus on independence,” shares program coordinator Allison Modica. “They are getting real world experience, [that] they can use outside of Eagle Hill… My job is to provide them with as many opportunities to gain independence that work for them as I can.”
The CIT program follows a carefully structured progression over four weeks. Students begin with observation in Week 1, develop feedback skills in Week 2, create personal goals in Week 3, and practice implementing those goals in Week 4. This isn’t just about preparing teens for future jobs, it’s about building the executive function skills and self-advocacy abilities they’ll need throughout their lives.
One remarkable success story exemplifies this approach: a CIT student who independently planned and executed “Summerween,” a Halloween-themed event in July. This student wrote emails, created detailed proposals, managed logistics, and coordinated with multiple staff members, all while developing crucial real-world skills in project management, communication, and leadership.
Building Community Through Mentorship
The cross-age interactions fostered by the CIT program create a natural mentorship dynamic that benefits everyone involved. “During recesses, the older kids are playing with the younger kids,” notes Modica. “It’s really nice for some of these younger kids to have older kids to look up to.”
These relationships develop organically as CITs take initiative in starting tag games, offering encouragement to struggling peers, and modeling positive behaviors. For the younger students, having teenage mentors provides inspiration and support. For the CITs, the responsibility of being a role model reinforces their own growth and builds empathy and leadership skills.
The Ripple Effect of Joy
What makes SOAR truly special isn’t just its innovative teaching methods or leadership opportunities, it’s the culture of joy and acceptance that permeates every aspect of the program. When students feel safe to take risks, make mistakes, and celebrate successes, learning becomes natural and sustainable.
This joy is contagious, spreading from students to families to the broader Eagle Hill community. Parents witness their children’s newfound confidence and enthusiasm for learning. Educators see students who were once reluctant participants become eager leaders. The entire school community benefits from the positive energy and growth mindset that SOAR cultivates.
A New Definition of Summer School
Eagle Hill’s SOAR program proves that summer learning doesn’t have to be a chore; it can be a celebration! By combining academics with joyful discovery, meaningful leadership opportunities with playful exploration, SOAR redefines what’s possible when we meet students where they are and help them reach where they’re going.
As those smiling faces climbing into cars at the end of each day demonstrate, the most powerful learning happens when students don’t even realize they’re learning—when education feels so engaging, so relevant, and so joyful that it simply becomes a natural part of living and growing.
For families seeking a summer experience that nurtures both academic growth and personal development, SOAR offers something truly special: a place where every child can discover their potential, build lasting friendships, and experience the pure joy of learning.
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Kara Ashley is the Director of Enrollment at Eagle Hill.
Ready to learn more about how Eagle Hill’s innovative approach could benefit your child? Visit our campus during summer program hours, explore our year-round educational philosophy, or contact our admissions team to discover how SOAR might be the perfect fit for your family’s summer plans.
