I once read a letter from a ten year old, I think his name was Carter, who was begging for the opportunity to start college early because he was super smart and had run out of challenges. It was very sweet, promising to take up very little room and stay out of trouble. Carter's father wrote a post script, telling us he had promised to mail the letter for Carter, who was soaking up more information than they could give him, but that he wasn't ready to ship his ten year old off to college.
I imagine there are plenty of Carters out there, fantasizing about the challenges that await them in college. I'm pleased to report that the Web Communications Office has developed a website just for kids who are thinking about their future (or maybe just doing a report on UVA or Thomas Jefferson). The site isn't official yet, but a preview can be seen on the staging website now.
I have to say that I like this idea. I get nervous for students who show up for info sessions prior to their sophomore year (even that used to be considered early). The UVA kids' page seems to be a way to get younger students excited about the idea of college and UVA, but doesn't include stress inducing information about admission rates and standardized testing. Best of all, there's a page that lists the different camps and programs for kids that happen at The University.
The University's new website will go live shortly, along with this one.
UPDATE: The new UVA website is up and running. As promised, the redesign includes a UVA Kids page and links to the various summer programs for younger students. The parents' page has more useful information about enrichment programs for the little ones.
