There’s Something for Everyone at De Anza Extended-Year Summer Program

It’s only Memorial Day, but the summer will be here in no time. It’s time to begin thinking of ways to keep your kids engaged and thriving in hopes of warding off summer boredom.

If you’ve got kids entering any grade between first and 10th, you may have prime candidates for a unique four-week summer experience held at three Cupertino school campuses. But you’ve got to hurry; space is filling up fast!

Walk-in registration begins Tuesday for those interested in securing a spot in De Anza’s popular Extended Year summer program. Now in its 28th year, the program has expanded to three campuses and has revised its course catalog to include such classes as Java Programming, robotics, comic writing, numerous fine arts classes and journalism, along with its core English, math and science classes. And while the range of classes is large, the class sizes are small and full of insightful preparation for any student’s upcoming academic school year.

Students have the flexibility to choose up to four morning classes or can register for as little as one. The program is for students who are at level or accelerated in their grade level. Classes are held at Faria Elementary for grades one through five and at Kennedy and Miller middle schools for grades six through 10.

“The students really love the more relaxed learning and not having to deal with the stress and pressure of grades,” said Caron Blinick, De Anza College dean of community education and continuing education. “They learn from instructors who teach with humor and applicability.”

But it’s not just its subject variety that provides such allure. Instructors are recruited from all over the county and abroad, some coming from out of state and others from out of the country. All teachers are fully credentialed.

“We have creative teachers with a strong repertoire of skills and a love of their subject,” said Blinick. “This allows them to convey the subject in interesting ways and include things that cannot be included in typical school, as there isn’t always time for the extras.”

Recent studies show that the brain is more developed when you are more relaxed, Blinick said, and the Extended Year program encourages this type of learning by having its students just enjoy the subject and absorb as much content as possible.

Blinick says she’s received overwhelming student feedback, receiving letters from students who explain how they finally understand proofs in geometry or how to effectively organize a strong essay and solid paragraph structure.

“There are a tremendous amount of fantastic programs in Santa Clara County, but our focus is on teaching and learning, and with that comes a tremendous amount of enjoyment on both ends,” said Blinick. “You can feel the passion and enjoyment, and the instructors we hire are the catalysts for that.”

Walk-in registration begins Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.—and ends on June 7—at De Anza College in the Community Services Building, 127 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino.

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