Nearly 20 third and fourth graders recently wrapped up a week and a half of discovery, learning and fun during the 2025 Summer to the Max camp at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. The free academic enrichment program, held June 16–27, aimed to build student confidence in reading and math while giving participants a taste of college life. The students were from Maxfield Elementary, the School of Education’s collaborative learning school, St. Peter Claver and EXPO Elementary.
Students engaged in hands-on activities, games and experiments to strengthen their number sense, problem-solving skills and literacy abilities. They received personalized instruction from St. Thomas faculty and one-on-one tutoring from current St. Thomas students and alumni with literacy and math expertise. This unique partnership gives St. Thomas students a one-of-a-kind field experience in various settings outside the typical classroom.
Highlights of the camp included Concrete Crushing with Dr. Travis Welt in the Iversen High Bay and a TV Studio Tour with Dr. Peter Gregg, both in the Schoenecker Center. Beyond academics, the camp experience included campus fun like bowling in the Anderson Student Center and daily lunches in the cafeteria.
Organized by the St. Thomas School of Education, Summer to the Max is designed to create a positive, enriching environment that nurtures each child’s strengths while introducing them to life on a university campus. One camper’s parent reflected, “We absolutely loved this program! My daughter had a joyful time with friends and learning all kinds of things. She greatly enjoyed playing games with math and her reading has gotten so good she's now excited to read and grabs her books every opportunity.”
