skip to main content

Summer School Programs

The March window for the Summer Programs registration is now closed. Enrollment requests are now being reviewed and students will be placed in the program/course of their selection or placed on a waitlist and notified by email by March 31. The next enrollment window will open Saturday, April 1 at 6 p.m.

As course placement is completed, you may check the status of the enrollment request in Synergy. Check with program staff if you have additional questions.

For programs and courses that are not full, enrollment requests may be made the 1st through the 15th of each month through June.

Summer 2023 Program Preview

Download PDFs:

Program Descriptions

BSAP Summer Institute (Entering Grades K-9)

This program offers acceleration and enrichment opportunities for HCPSS students entering Grades K-9. Students participate in grade-level academic courses (reading/English, math, science, social studies) each morning, and in a wide range of enrichment opportunities in the afternoon.

Contact: SummerInstitute@hcpss.org or 410-313-1598.

BSAP Course Listing

BSAP Course Matrix

BSAP Before & After Care – Phelps Luck ES

BSAP Before & After Care – Long Reach HS

Gifted and Talented (GT) Summer Institutes for Talent Development
(Entering Grades 1-8)

This program offers additional advanced-level instruction and enrichment experiences not regularly available during the academic school year. Rigorous instruction focusing on talent development is offered in mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, technology and fine arts.

Contact: GTSummer@hcpss.org or 410-313-6671.

G/T Course Listing

G/T Course Matrix

G/T Before & After Care – Burleigh Manor MS

Innovative Pathways High School
(Entering Grade 9, Current Grades 9-12)

This program offers high school credit-bearing courses in a variety of content areas and levels to support academic achievement and acceleration for diploma-bound students. Traditional, face-to-face courses meet in the morning and virtual, synchronous courses are offered in the afternoon.

Contact: IPSummer@hcpss.org or 410-313-6627.

Innovative Pathways HS Course Listing

Innovative Pathways HS Course Matrix

STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp (Entering Grades 6-8)

This program offers Chinese language proficiency development with a focus on speaking for novice level learners and the addition of reading and writing for intermediate level learners for HCPSS students entering Grades 6-8. The language instruction program will be complemented with a wide range of Chinese culture-themed activities such as arts and crafts, martial arts, virtual field trips, and games.

Contact: STARTALK@hcpss.org or 410-313-5663

Summer Math Scholars Program
(Entering Grades 6-8)

This program partners with the Howard County Office of the Local Children’s Board to provide math academic enrichment and social and emotional learning for middle school students. Eligible students are those with a C average in their current on-grade level math class and whose families have a household income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.

Contact: LCB@howardcountymd.gov or 410-313-6400

Information about Academic Intervention (Grades K-8) and Extended School Year Special Education (Ages 3-5, PreK-12) programs will be shared directly with parents/guardians of HCPSS eligible students.

Enrollment

Enrollment requests for registration-based programs can be made by a parent, guardian, school counselor or achievement liaison.

Download PDF: Register for Summer Programs

Please carefully review the program descriptions, dates, times and locations before submitting an enrollment request. Parents/guardians will be notified via email of enrollment status (enrolled or waitlisted) at the end of the month in which the request was made. Early registration is highly recommended. Program availability may be limited during the later registration dates.
  • Read all of the text on the registration page for program-specific instructions.
  • Select the preferred program for the student. If you request more than one summer program that meets at the same time, you will need to identify your preferred program on the Introduction page. (NOTE: once enrolled in a HCPSS Summer Program, you will no longer see other program options to select).
  • For Innovative Pathways High School, select the preferred instructional method for the program (in-person only, virtual only, or no preference). Not all courses are available in all formats.
  • If applicable, indicate if you require transportation or select a community bus stop from the list. Parents will be contacted before the start of the summer program with specific information regarding bus arrival and drop-off times. If a student is waitlisted for a program, you may choose to be removed from the waitlist to submit or select a request for a different program.
  • If a program or course is not available in the registration menu, it may be filled or not open to register at that time. Review the program’s course listing to check course availability.

Current HCPSS students

Synergy will accept enrollment requests from February through June starting the 1st of each month at 6 p.m. and will close the 15th of each month at 6 p.m. For programs and courses that are not full, enrollment requests may be made each month through June.
  • Enrollment requests for Innovative Pathways High School credit recovery and Gear Up for Grade 9 courses may only be made by a school counselor beginning in April.
  • Parents/guardians of Entering Kindergarten students who wish to submit an enrollment request for the BSAP Summer Institutes program and are currently enrolled in HCPSS Pre-Kindergarten, can submit their enrollment request via HCPSS Connect. If not enrolled in HCPSS, parents/guardians should email SummerInstitute@hcpss.org to receive an online enrollment link (please include Entering K enrollment in the subject line).

Enrollment lottery process

Enrollment requests do not guarantee placement in summer programs.
  • Enrollment requests for BSAP and G/T programs are completed through a lottery process. Requests are NOT first-come, first-served. All students within the same household who requested enrollment in the same program within that window will be randomly selected for placement in that program.
  • For Innovative Pathways High School, enrollment priority will be given to students by their current grade level. Remaining students will be randomly selected and enrolled in their selected course (or alternate course) until that course has been filled.
  • Families will receive an email when a student is enrolled in a course or added to the applicable course waitlist.

Review enrollment requests

Parents/guardians will be notified via email of enrollment status (enrolled or waitlisted) at the end of the month in which the request was made. As course placement is completed, you may check the status of the enrollment request. The instructions for reviewing requests are included in the Register for Summer Programs document.

Non-HCPSS students

Parents/guardians of current non-HCPSS students who wish to submit an enrollment request for the BSAP, G/T or Innovative Pathways High School summer program should send an email to the program to receive an alternate online enrollment link (please include Non-HCPSS enrollment in the subject line)
All enrollment requests are PENDING until HCPSS has completed program placement and full tuition is paid. Enrollment requests DO NOT guarantee placement in a program.

Payments and Financial Assistance

Payments

Payments for summer programs can ONLY BE MADE ONCE ENROLLMENT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY EMAIL. Parents/guardians will be emailed an invoice and payment instructions once the student has been enrolled in a program. Payments may be made by check, money order or credit card. After 10 days past due, the enrollment may be removed. Full payment is due prior to the program start date. Payments will be accepted in the following manner:
  • Online: Payments will be available to be made through MySchoolBucks (there is a 4% service fee for online payments)
  • Mail: Download the Registration Payment Form and return the completed form with a check or money order payable to Howard County Public School System to:

    HCPSS
    Attn: Summer Programs
    10910 Clarksville Pike
    Ellicott City, MD 21042
Download PDF: Summer Programs Payment Instructions

NOTE: If an alternate form of payment is needed, please contact the program directly to review payment options. HCPSS cannot take in-person payment without an appointment.

Returned Checks

Checks returned by the bank due to insufficient funds will be assessed a charge. If payment is not received in full, the unpaid amount will become a debt and will be entered as an outstanding obligation at your child’s school. All obligations must be satisfied prior to graduation. The HCPSS Finance Office has contracted with Envision Payment Solutions, Inc. for the electronic collection of check payments. If the check is returned unpaid, Envision Payment Solutions, Inc. will assess a $35 fee allowed by Maryland state law and charged as an electronic fund transfer.

Financial Assistance

Financial Assistance is available for current HCPSS students. Please visit www.hcpss.org/farms to submit a Free and Reduced Price Meal services (FARMs) application.
Students receiving FARMs automatically receive a 50% tuition reduction upon verification.
Parents/guardians who do not qualify for FARMs but are experiencing a documented financial hardship, or who are unable to afford tuition after the automatic FARMs status-based discounts, may complete a Financial Assistance Application. Financial hardships include unemployment of a parent or guardian, pending foreclosure or eviction and medical hardship. The Financial Assistance Committee will review the completed applications and notify parents/guardians if additional tuition reduction will be applied.

Financial Assistance Applications will be accepted in the following manner (please only submit ONE version):

  • Online: Complete the online form and email the required documentation to the student’s summer program
  • Mail: Download the application form and return the completed form and required documentation to:
    HCPSS
    Attn: Innovative Pathways
    10910 Clarksville Pike
    Ellicott City, MD 21042

Withdrawal and Refund Requests

Withdrawal Requests
Prior to enrollment, a parent/guardian or school counselor may submit a registration withdrawal request online through the Synergy Parent Portal on the HCPSS Connect web page. Instructions for requesting withdrawal are included in the Register for Summer Programs document.
Refund Requests
Tuition paid by cash, check, or money order will be refunded in the form of a check mailed to the issuer once the Refund Form is processed. Refunds by check may take 4-6 weeks to process. Tuition paid by credit card will be refunded to the credit card in accordance with the credit card company’s refund procedure less the service charge.

Transportation

Summer programs offer transportation for students via community bus stops; door-to-door service is not provided. A community bus stop is a location where students in a geographic location will meet and a school bus will pick-up and transport them to their summer program. Community bus stop locations are based on student enrollments.
  • BSAP Summer Institute, G/T Summer Institutes for Talent Development and Summer Math Scholars Program – Transportation is provided by HCPSS via a community bus stop.
  • Innovative Pathways High School programs – Transportation is provided by HCPSS via a community bus stop and is limited to students:
    • Enrolled in the Gear Up for 9th Grade program at Howard HS
    • Enrolled in credit recovery courses at Howard HS
    • Graduating during the High School summer program in July 2023
For all other Innovative Pathways students, transportation is NOT provided and will be the responsibility of the student and their parent(s)/guardian(s). Students must be dropped off and picked up on time. Alternate transportation may be found through Howard County Transit at transitrta.com.

Summer Programs Summary Information

  BSAP Summer Institute (Entering Grades K-9) Gifted and Talented (G/T) Summer Institute
(Entering Grades 1-8)
Innovative Pathways High School
(Entering Grade 9, Current Grades 9-12)
STARTALK Chinese Language Summer Camp
(Entering Grades 6-8)
Summer Math Scholars Program (Entering Grades 6-8)
Dates/Times
Dates are subject to change. No programs meet on Tuesday, July 4th.

June 26 – July 21 (4 weeks)

9:00 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Session I: June 26 – July 7 (2 weeks)

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Session II: July 10 – July 21 (2 weeks)

8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

June 21 – July 28 (6 weeks; All 1.0 credit classes)

Session I: June 21 – July 10 (3 weeks; .5 credit Health 1, Health 2, or Lifetime Fitness 9 only)

Session II: July 11 – July 28 (3 weeks; .5 credit Health 1, Health 2, or Lifetime Fitness 9 only)

Howard HS (Morning In-Person and Virtual) Courses: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Wilde Lake HS (Morning In-Person and Virtual) Courses: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Afternoon Virtual Courses: 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Mandatory orientation for all courses on the first class date: June 21 or July 10

June 26 – July 14 (3 weeks)

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

July 5 – July 28 (4 weeks)

8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Locations
Locations are subject to change.

Phelps Luck ES (Grades K-4)

Long Reach HS (Grades 5-9)

Burleigh Manor MS

Howard HS (Credit recovery and Gear Up for 9th Grade)

Wilde Lake HS (Art, CTE, English, Food and Nutrition Technology, Health 1, Lifetime Fitness 9, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Languages)

Homewood Center

Harper’s Choice MS

Cost
Financial Assistance is available for current HCPSS students. Visit www.hcpss.org/farms to submit a FARMs application.

$650

$256 Session I

$320 Session II

$325 (0.5 credit course)

$550 (1.0 credit course)

$800 (2.0 credit course)

$50

No cost (families must have a household income up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines to qualify)

Transportation

Yes, community stops

Yes, community stops

Yes, limited to specific courses

No

Yes, community stops

Meals
Sites offer either a snack or breakfast/lunch at no cost.
Contact
Email messages will receive a faster response than calling the program phone numbers. Phone messages will be returned after reviewing voicemail messages within 24 hours during the school week.

SummerInstitute@hcpss.org

410-313-1598

GTSummer@hcpss.org

410-313-6671

IPSummer@hcpss.org

410-313-6627

STARTALK@hcpss.org

410-313-5663

LCB@howardcountymd.gov

410-313-6400