Stanford Middle School Scholars Program

Summer

July 7 - 25, 2025

During the summer, scholars meet Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 12:00pm Pacific Time for live programming. Scholars are required to attend all scheduled sessions. All sessions are open to participants only, unless otherwise noted.

Week One: Welcome Week

During Welcome Week, scholars will attend program orientation, technology orientation, and workshops on academic exploration and writing to prepare for their summer courses. They will also participate in three student life activities with our Student Life team and SMSSP instructors to connect with their peers and build community.

Program Orientation, Technology Orientation, and an Introduction to Stanford Online High School (OHS) session will take place on the first day of the program. Parents and legal guardians are strongly encouraged to attend all three orientation sessions with their scholars.
 

Orientation Time (PT) Date
Technology Orientation 9:30am - 10:15am Monday, July 7
Program Orientation 10:15am - 11:00am Monday, July 7
Introduction to Stanford Online High School and Middle School 11:15am- 12:00pm Monday, July 7


Technology Orientation
During Tech Orientation, scholars will be introduced to the technology used in the program and will have the opportunity to test their devices to ensure compatibility with our systems. At the end of day one, from 12:00-12:30 pm PST, our Technology Team will hold a drop-in session for students who need additional support or troubleshooting.

Program Orientation
During Program Orientation, scholars will meet program staff and instructors and review the program schedule, rules, and expectations. Parents and legal guardians are strongly encouraged to attend Program Orientation with their scholar.

Introduction to Stanford Online High School and Middle School
During this session, scholars, parents, and legal guardians will learn about Stanford OHS. Members of the Stanford OHS Office of Admissions will give an overview of our school and help scholars and their families explore how Stanford OHS could fit into their future academic plans as a middle or high school student.

 

Week One

SMSSP Week 1

Week Two and Three

During the second and third weeks of the program, scholars will attend a daily live virtual class led by a Stanford OHS instructor. These sessions offer enriching academic experiences, along with social activities that help build community and inspire lifelong learning. After class, scholars will participate in either an instructor-led study hall, a writing workshop, or a student life activity. Scholars should expect up to 4 hours of outside-of-class assignments each week, which will be completed during study hall.

Event Time (PT) Days
Class Instruction 9:30am - 10:45am Monday - Friday
Instructor-Led Study Hall 11:00am - 12:00pm Monday - Thursday
Writing Workshop 11:00am - 12:00pm Friday

 

End of Summer Celebration
Parents & legal guardians welcome
11:30am - 12:00pm Friday, July 25th


On Friday of Week 3, parents and legal guardians are invited to join their scholars and SMSSP staff and instructors to celebrate the end of the summer session. We will highlight the summer program and applaud scholar achievements. Important information about preparing for the fall semester will also be shared with scholars during the celebration.

Summer Attendance Policy

All activities are designed to provide participants with a well-rounded experience. To complete the program successfully, scholars must attend all live course meetings with their webcam on. Additionally, scholars are expected to participate in class and activities by using their microphones and chat features to contribute to discussions. Only enrolled students are permitted to attend class meetings.

Scholars should only miss class for health or religious reasons. If a scholar needs to be absent or late, parents or legal guardians should email spcs-studentlife@stanford.edu to let us know. Scholars should also inform their instructor about any absence in advance if possible.

A student is considered absent from a class if:

  • The student does not attend the scheduled event;
  • The student misses 15 minutes or more of the discussion section due to being late, leaving early, or stepping out in the middle.