For over 18 years, the College Excel Summer Program has created the structure and experiences needed for students to develop college success in the classroom and beyond. Their long history of innovative services based on the latest research in the fields of neuroscience and human development has inspired them to develop a new approach this summer for their students who have spent the last year navigating the pandemic. 

The Summer Program will have an intentional, strong focus on in-person experiential learning where students have the option of earning college credit or working to prepare for Fall Term without the pressure of taking courses. During the 12-week Summer Program, all students will build or brush up on the foundational skills needed for the in person classroom experience, while building vital connections with their peers and community, participating in College Excel’s wellness curriculum and honing the life skills necessary to establish a higher level of self-reliance. 

Experiences this summer include a focus on project-based learning, service learning, academic workshops, outdoor adventures, trips, and much more.  Project-Based Learning (PBL) encourages students’ learning by actively engaging in real-world and personally meaningful projects. The curriculum is designed to support and challenge the students to reestablish their confidence, digitally detox, get healthy, and reconnect with their sense of place in the world.  

As a company whose expertise is in neuroscience and human development, College Excel understands the need for their students to learn how to manage and overcome the impact of the consistent anxiety and stress of being a young adult in a pandemic. Much of the methodology at College Excel is based on the work of Dr. Srinivasan Pillay, a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher.  He finds there is power in creative rest and the unfocused mind. Dr. Pillay writes that “clarity and sharpness of mind increase when one learns to value and harness what comes from giving time for the brain to wander.” The Summer Program is designed for students to experience and appreciate this creative approach, with the goal of re-engaging their brains in a way that allows for a deeper sense of well-being and hope for their future.

The Summer term culminates with a September NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) rafting expedition.  College Excel has partnered with NOLS  to foster community, team building, and leadership development while participating in a most memorable adventure.  

College Excel is currently enrolling students for the Summer Program.  Please reach out to their Admissions Director Jon Baker. jon@collegeexcel.com   541-388-3043

About College Excel

Founded in 2003, College Excel is the nation’s leading residential college support program located in beautiful Bend, Oregon. At College Excel, post-secondary adults (18+) with diverse learning needs requiring extra support are provided the structure they need to move forward, both academically and personally. Using a proprietary, blended coaching model rooted in Harvard research-based neuro coaching and behavioral coaching techniques, College Excel students receive daily support from a team of credentialed and experienced Academic and Student Life Coaches while earning transferable college credits.