Stay Engaged over the Summer

School is out but that doesn't mean you can't stay engaged and active over the summer. I've been meeting cool people with great ideas about how to do this. The guys at eduFire want to revolutionize the way we learn with online video classes and tutoring for any language and test you can imagine. Shmoop wants to do away with textbooks (who doesn't?!) and create a more vivid, multimedia curriculum for students and teachers. And if you're in the need of fun SAT games, check out Grockit, a more collaborative way to learn online.

Don't succumb to brain drain. Summer is a chance to learn in non-traditional ways. Gone are your teachers and set curriculum for the year; gone is the rigidity of grades, homework, and tests. What the summer presents is a golden opportunity to create your own academic learning - to discover and experience what interests you. Go to a museum, get an internship, work a part-time job, travel, spend time at a non-profit, spend time with a venture capitalist, volunteer at a local hospital, soup kitchen, or summer camp.

Of course there's good ol' fashioned tutoring as well. For students who need to make up classes or get ahead for the fall, there's nothing better than a 1-1 tutor and mentor. Along with Tutorpedia, Meyers Learning Center is creating individual workshops and summer learning plans for students who want to learn in more creative, personal ways. But whatever your summer plans, be sure to mix in a little bit of relaxation with a little bit of learning.