Summer Honors

A leadership experience for talented teens

Summer Honors is an academic and leadership experience for high school students between their junior and senior year of high school hosted by the University of North Georgia (UNG). You can find us on Facebook, browse hundreds of photos, experience our leadership adventure, meet our staff, and see highlights from our exciting program. The University of North Georgia's Dahlonega campus is the perfect host site: located in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains with strong academic programs and a friendly atmosphere.

The camp staff includes director Robb Sinn and an array of faculty, staff and students from the UNG community. Participants spend thirteen days and twelve nights on our Dahlonega campus living in our dorms, eating at our cafeteria, accessing our labs and facilities and enjoying free time around campus. UNG Recreational Sports helps facilitate the Pine Valley ropes courses, working with Summer Honors staff to provide the adventure-learning component of the leadership curriculum. Counselors and camp staff are chosen from the UNG student population based on their academics and leadership experience. The caring, dedicated and professional staff help make Summer Honors a rich and vital experience.

Summer Honors academic units taught by UNG’s finest faculty provide an overview of collegiate coursework. Students learn about possible majors and courses they can explore in college. Better, they have fun doing it. Highlights from past years include astronomy sessions in the planetarium and at the observatory; psychology sessions about memory, neural processing, mate selection theory and Jungian archetypal analysis; political science sessions covering terrorism and utilizing globalism simulation activities; film making; a history session about Chinggis Khan and the Mongolian empire complete with South Park cartoon illustrations; political leadership; marine biology; a sociology class about the the Social Register; and an ecology field study and nature walk. Summer Honors provides challenging and interesting academics that will not replicate high school academics.

The leadership curriculum combines classroom discussions and adventure-learning sessions. Climbing teams navigate the ropes course elements at UNG’s Pine Valley facility focusing on problem solving, effective communication, encouragement and dynamic leadership. The teams learn safety skills on the ground and then help each team member complete the high ropes elements. It's fun, safe and exciting.

Free time is spent watching movies, shopping on the historic Dahlonega square, banqueting at an Etiquette Dinner, enjoying a pool party complete with a hundred foot long Slip 'N' Slide and competing in Camp Olympics. We conclude with an Awards Banquet from 6 - 8 PM on the last evening of camp.

For more information, please contact Dr. Robb Sinn, Summer Honors Director.

Robb Sinn, Director
UNG Summer Honors
Dahlonega, GA 30597

Phone: 706-864-1676

All students are welcome to apply. Many of our participants have scholarships through their school districts which pay most or all of their camp fees. Private students who meet our admission requirements may apply, and can attend Summer Honors for a camp fee of $1,500. The suggested minimum GPA is 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. For private students, there is 10% early registration discount. Private student applicants or their parents should contact Dr. Sinn directly during the application process for more details.