Summer Residential

At the time of registration, you should enroll your child according to his/her current grade level. For example, if your child is in 8th grade in the spring that you register, then you should enroll him/her in the Star program for 7th & 8th graders.

A typical day looks like this:

• 7:00-8:30 AM: Breakfast
• 8:30-11:30 AM: Morning Class Session
• 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Lunch
• 1:00 – 4:00 PM: Afternoon Class Session
• 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Small Group Meetings
• 5:00 – 6:00 PM: Dinner
• 6:00 – 7:00 PM: Recreational Activities
• 7:00 – 9:00 PM: Activity Challenges
• 9:00 – 10:00 PM: Free Time
• 10:00 PM: Time to Prepare for Bed
• 10:30 PM: Lights Out

Students have structured activity time in the afternoon and evenings with access to a variety of board games, pool, ping-pong, and sports equipment in addition to Purdue computer labs. Camp counselors also prepare challenge activities, conduct small group discussions, and our always entertaining Global Gala and Talent Show.

Field trip destinations vary each year. In the past, Star and Pulsar students have visited museums and zoos in Chicago and Indianapolis.

Our program employs Summer Residential staff members who care for your student. Of course, Summer Residential instructors take care of students during the morning and afternoon class times. Outside of class, campers are assigned to camp counselors in group of ten or less based on gender. These groups, including the camp counselors, live together on the same residence hall floor. Camp counselors are often undergraduates or graduate students majoring in education, although this is not a requirement for employment. Supervising these counselors are experienced head counselors who also live in the residence hall to direct and advise camp counselors and campers. Head counselors report to one of GER²I’s Summer Residential coordinators who are graduate students in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies. Coordinators report to the GER²I youth program manager and the youth program director who is a faculty member in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies and the Educational Studies Department in Purdue’s College of Education. As per Purdue University policy, campers are not permitted to leave the residence hall without staff supervision. In all, we maintain a small student to staff ratio so your child’s needs are recognized and met while also taking fun, supervision, and safety very seriously.

Campers are randomly assigned to camp counselors who are the same gender as the campers.

The Purdue University Student Health (PUSH) Center is conveniently located near the residence hall and academic buildings. GER²I provides limited medical insurance for minor accidents or illnesses while students are on campus. We are also fortunate to have first responders from the Purdue Police and Fire Departments on campus who will respond quickly should an emergency occur. In any of these circumstances, you will be contacted as soon as possible.

During the first few days of camp, students might call their parents because either the classes are too hard or they feel out of place socially. To some degree, this is expected, especially when this may be your child’s first time away from home; however, we hope you’ll encourage your child to talk to their teacher, camp counselor, or any GER²I camp staff about their feelings and give us a chance to help with whatever is troubling him/her. When this happens, we have found that things turn around pretty quickly; they find new friends who share their interests, and they become a valued member of the GER²I family.

Your child’s camp counselor can be reached in a non-emergency situation and will likely know why your child hasn’t returned your texts or calls. For more serious situations, we suggest contacting the 24-hour GER²I cell phone (phone number shared at registration) or the main office phone (765-494-7243) during regular business hours. Additional phone numbers will be shared with you and your child at registration, including the numbers for the head counselors, the 24-hour residence hall front desk, the GER²I program manager, and the GER²I youth program director. Please consider that “No news is good news”; in other words, your child isn’t returning your calls because he/she is having so much fun at camp!

Campers will be supervised by camp staff at all times and will remain on campus most of the time. Star and Pulsar students attend a field trip on Saturday, usually to Indianapolis or Chicago. For this trip, students are transported by motor coach with professional drivers. Campers may also leave campus for class field trips or shopping areas close to Purdue’s campus.