Photo: Courtesy of ID Tech
Summer is just right around the corner, and there’s no better time to give your kids a fun and enriching holiday break. Whether it’s broadening your children’s horizons or developing their hobbies, we’ve handpicked some of the most prestigious overseas summer programmes to keep them active and joyful this season

1. EXPLO

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of EXPLO

EXPLO offers a wide variety of programmes with one thing in common—they’re all subjects your child wouldn’t be exposed to in a normal curriculum. Suitable for students from Grade 2 to 12, the courses run for three weeks at campuses including Yale and Wellesley, and cover topics ranging from emergency medicine to food science, and from beatmaking to behavioural science.

Learn more at EXPLO

See also: Hong Kong Tatler Schools Guide

2. New York Film Academy

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of New York Film Academy

Founded in 1996, the New York Film Academy runs kids’ and teen camps for those interested in the performing arts. Its claim to fame is that many luminaries from the entertainment business have sent their children there, and top actors regularly address the attendees, including the likes of Steven Spielberg, Al Pacino and Glenn Close. Camps take place in attractive locations such as Florence, the Gold Coast, Paris and Harvard University.

Learn more at New York Film Academy

See also: 3 Key Benefits Of Summer School Programmes

3. ID Tech

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of ID Tech

This top-rated summer tech camp accepts students aged seven to 19, with a presence at some 150 campuses, including Caltech, MIT, the University of Hong Kong, Cambridge and the National University of Singapore.

While the availability of courses differs by location, they include topics such as RoboCoder: Robotics and Visual Coding with Lego; Mobile Game Development for iPhone and Android; and Film Studio: Video Production for YouTube.

Learn more at ID Tech

4. Research Science Institute

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Research Science institute

One of the most prestigious summer programmes for secondary school juniors, the Research Science Institute admits only 70 students annually, who congregate at MIT for six weeks, taking college-level classes concentrating on theory and research in areas including maths, science and engineering.

Learn more at Research Science Institute

5. Stanford's Silicon Valley Innovation Academy

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Above Photo: Courtesy of Stanford's Silicon Valley Innovation Academy

Available to students at secondary school, undergraduate and graduate level enrolled in the Stanford Summer Session, the Silicon Valley Innovation Academy is geared towards those with entrepreneurial dreams. Over seven weeks, the selected individuals team up to work on a moonshot project, culminating in an innovation showcase at which each group presents its idea to the Silicon Valley community.

Learn more at Silicon Valley Innovation Academy

See also: 7 Cool Classes For Creative Hong Kong Kids

6. Havard Summer School

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Above Photo: Courtesy of Havard Summer School

Harvard offers programmes for pre-college and secondary students, along with college-level courses that can count as credit towards a university degree, with more than 400 subject options. Many can be taken online, although that would involve giving up the opportunity to visit the university’s storied campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sessions last for three to seven weeks, with courses that are highly specific, such as Meet the Alien: Astronomy and Society; The Biology of Cancer; and Humanitarian Aid in Complex Environments.

Learn more at Harvard Summer School

7. New York University

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Above Photo: Courtesy of New York University

Through three-, six- or 12-week sessions at NYU, students can explore all that the university’s nine schools have to offer, including specialised programmes for journalism, music, performing arts and writing. There are thousands of options, and many students integrate the bustling city’s resources into the syllabus, whether it’s taking trips to a trading floor to meet business leaders or visiting some of the world’s best museums as part of an art history programme.

Learn more at NYU

See also: 5 Best Music Schools In Hong Kong For Kids

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