Temple Summer Academy is a uniquely-awesome program here at Temple University. It’s one of the nation’s only programs that invites students entering grades 11 or 12 to experience the academics, energy and culture of a college campus, all the while providing a tuition grant to those who continue to enroll at Temple full-time after high school.

Temple Summer Academy was recently chosen for an OwlCrowd fundraising campaign in order to help supply scholarships to students in the Philadelphia area and well beyond who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford the program.

Why donate? Here are five reasons why we think Temple Summer Academy (and the students who apply) are worthy of your support.

1. It allows students to experience Temple: Temple University is known for its exciting, urban campus and invigorating environment. Students who are accepted into the Summer Academy will be invited to spend four weeks living on Temple’s Main Campus in one of the undergraduate residence halls, where they will get to experience what it’s like to be a Temple student first-hand. From living on campus with a roommate to navigating campus to visiting the student center and exploring the city at large, students will get a real feel for what it’s like to be a Temple Owl.
    
2. It helps students prepare for the college experience: Temple Summer Academy students are given the chance to explore potential majors through participation in both a college course and a non-credit workshop. Students may choose one of two courses: Youth Cultures and Mathematical Patterns, satisfying undergraduate degree requirements. They also get to choose a workshop to participate in while on campus: Summer Owls Leadership Experience, Visual Studies, and the Business Design Challenge. With a credit course and a workshop under their belt, Summer Academy students will be better prepared for a long career at Temple.
    
3. It’s an investment in Temple’s future: Temple Summer Academy aims to allow students to experience Temple University’s campus, courses and culture, and in doing so foster the next generation of Temple students. Our hope is to provide these students with all the tools they’ll need to succeed as full-time Temple Owls by introducing them to real college courses, educational workshops and exciting trips into the city of Philadelphia. By donating to the OwlCrowd campaign, you’re helping to provide the funding many students need in order to have this opportunity. Your donation is a direct investment in the future of these students who otherwise may not be able to apply or enroll.
    
4. Promotes local Philadelphia companies and culture: Temple Summer Academy is not only about what students learn and experience in the classroom. The Academy makes Philadelphia its classroom. When students aren’t in class or in their workshop, evening activities are organized to give the students a taste of what Philadelphia has to offer. Whether it’s a group outing to a Phillies game or an adventure into Philadelphia’s haunted past in Old City, students will have the chance to enjoy an array of fun activities on and off campus. 
    
5. Brings students together from all over the country :This program is not solely for students in the surrounding area. Students from all over the country come to Temple University to experience college life through Temple Summer Academy. Previous students have come from many of the surrounding states, including Delaware, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey. There have even been students who came all the way from Florida! Temple Summer Academy gets students from all across the US, making for an interesting and diverse group of students in each session.

Offering such a unique, exciting and enriching experience to budding Temple Owls is an incredible opportunity. Many students who would be assets to the program, however, may struggle to pay for the program costs. Temple Summer Academy’s OwlCrowd campaign is LIVE now. Temple Summer Academy is extremely hopeful that they will exceed their $5,000 goal with your help. Invest in future Temple Owls and donate to the Temple Summer Academy OwlCrowd campaign at giving.temple.edu/summeracademy.