Linguistics for high schoolers: A summer camp model

Summer Linguistics Institute for Youth Scholars (SLIYS), held on The Ohio State University campus, offers intensive courses in linguistics to high school students from Ohio and around the world. Each year, nearly 100 students participate in 1- or 2-week-long camps where they engage in the scientific study of language and experience a realistic introduction to academics and university life. The programme's objectives are to provide students with the linguistic tools needed to understand their native language, become better learners of a foreign language and investigate unknown languages. Beyond academics, the high school camp immerses students into university life in a controlled environment providing a non-threatening experience in academia to students unfamiliar with college. This article describes the evolution of SLIYS and its current incarnation, specifically how and why it works. We discuss the goals of the programme, the structure of SLIYS and how it is sustained, how the programme is assessed, and finally we share information about the general cost of the programme and our recruiting efforts that ensure that SLIYS continues in future years.