Home | Student Life | Summer Programs

Summer Programs

Learn year-round at Thetford Academy! TA is proud to host a variety of summer learning and leadership opportunities each year.

Thetford Academy offers several summer opportunities for students interested in continuing their learning outside the classroom. In 2025, in partnership with Hanover High School, TA will host the Upper Valley Speech and Debate Camp (UVSDC). Open to all Upper Valley students rising into grades 7-12, this day program is designed to advance the skills of both new and seasoned debaters. For students interested in outdoor leadership, the Thetford Outdoor Program (TOP) offers a variety of immersive outdoor experiences. Canoeing, rock climbing, trail building, gardening and more – TOP has something for everyone.

Upper Valley Speech
and Debate Camp

The Upper Valley Speech and Debate Camp (UVSDC) is a week-long day program designed to help students build confidence, sharpen their public speaking, and develop strong critical thinking and argumentation skills – all in a fun and welcoming environment.

2027 Dates TBD

The Upper Valley Speech and Debate Camp (UVSDC) is a week-long day program designed to help students build confidence, sharpen their public speaking, and develop strong critical thinking and argumentation skills – all in a fun and welcoming environment. While the camp is geared toward beginning debaters, the engaging workshops, team activities, and hands-on practice offer something valuable for every skill level.

By the end of the week, camp participants will:

  • Gain confidence in public speaking
  • Learn the structure and strategy behind Public Forum Debate
  • Practice impromptu speaking and constructive argumentation
  • Receive feedback from experienced debaters and coaches
  • Participate in a fun, low-pressure final tournament

Price TBD

Led by passionate, experienced high school debaters and coaches from Thetford Academy and Hanover High School, the camp gives students the tools to analyze information, craft persuasive arguments, and speak with clarity and conviction.

  • Oliver Benedict graduated from Hanover High School in June 2026 as a nationally ranked top-50 high school debater. Oliver is a returning staff member at a residential debate camp on the coast and coaches the RMS debate team. When he’s not debating, he’s playing soccer or helping his crew team on the water. His favorite debate memory is being challenged to an analogy-off using chess to explain geopolitics. Oliver heads to Hobart and William Smith Colleges in the fall.
  • Daniel Mann graduated from Thetford Academy in June 2026, where he competed in debate and captained the club his senior year. Raised in Tucson, Arizona, Daniel discovered the power of delivery performing in a mariachi band, a background that translates surprisingly well to the debate stage. This past spring, he represented Vermont as a delegate to the U.S. Senate Youth Program, where he met with national leaders to discuss many of the same issues he’d spent years debating. Daniel heads to Dartmouth College in the fall.
  • Corin Benedict and Kristen Downey are teachers at Hanover High School and Thetford Academy respectively, where they each coach the debate team. Corin’s favorite thing about debate is digging into the research about a new topic, while Kristen’s favorite thing about coaching debate is the surprising ways students tackle an argument.

TOP Summer Leadership Programs

Each summer, the Thetford Outdoor Program offers several opportunities for Thetford Academy students to have immersive outdoor leadership experiences and adventures. TOP Summer Leadership programs are announced each winter and open to all TA students in grades 7-12, and to students from our sending schools in the Upper Valley.

Dates TBD

This is an advanced trip for students who have participated in past TOP summer Leadership programs. The group will travel to La Verendrye park in Quebec Canada and paddle over 150 km through remote wilderness areas. Students must apply to join this trip.

There is a fee for this program to cover food, permits, staffing, and equipment costs.

Price TBD

Dates TBD

Students will spend a week paddling a local section of the Connecticut River. Along the way, they will camp at primitive campsites, develop paddling and leadership skills, and learn about the natural world.

There is a fee for this program to cover food, permits, staffing, and equipment costs.

Price TBD

Dates TBD

This trip is designed specifically for students who are new to TOP summer leadership programs as an introductory outdoor leadership program. The group will base their experience at the TA yurt. Over five days, students will hike on the Appalachian Trail, rock climb in South Royalton, work on a service project and then travel to the Connecticut River for a canoe camping overnight. On this trip, students will develop leadership skills, and learn about the natural world while exploring the forest, cliff and river ecosystems.

There is a fee for this program to cover food, permits, staffing, and equipment costs.

Price TBD

Dates TBA

Students will travel to Keene Valley in the Adirondacks and base camp at a local site. Each day the group will travel to different climbing sites and participate in top rope climbing. Along the way students will develop leadership skills, rock climbing and belaying techniques and learn about the unique geology of the Adirondacks.

There is a fee for this program to cover food, staffing, and equipment costs.

Price TBD

Dates TBD

Students explore the Appalachian Trail on a week long backpacking trip. Along the way the group will be camping at primitive campsites, developing leadership skills, and interacting with the beautiful scenery along this amazing trail.

There is a fee for this program to cover food, permits, staffing, and equipment costs.

Price TBD

Enjoy the great outdoors by way of TA’s school garden and the agricultural resources of the greater Upper Valley. Students will spend time working and learning in the garden at TA, with afternoon garden-inspired crafts, activities, and local field trips.

There is a fee for this program to cover materials and staffing costs.

Price TBD

Learn about garden internships and apprenticeship below!

Dates TBD

This week-long work experience engages students in all aspects of trail maintenance and development. Students will work building and improving trail networks in the Thetford Hill State Forest, and on TA’s vast, 295-acre forested campus. The crew meets Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with four days of work and one-day team activity and hike. Students must be entering 9th grade and complete an application and interview to be accepted into the trail crew.

Students are compensated $100 for the week.

TOP Summer Internships

Each summer, TOP hires student interns to help support our summer programs. This is a great opportunity for students who have participated in past TOP summer programs to advance their leadership skills and build valuable work experience.

Date TBD

Do you love to be outside? Garden? Lead groups of enthusiastic campers? Then apply to become a garden intern!

Garden interns will work alongside the School Garden Coordinator during the week of summer garden camp. Tasks include helping other campers work in the garden, make crafts, and cook delicious garden-based snacks like pickles and salsa. Interns will help lead games and help with off-campus excursions to nearby farms for fun activities, such as berry picking and exploring, Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 3pm.

Garden interns can expect to:

  • Support gardening and outdoor cooking activities
  • Help with set-up and clean-up throughout the week
  • Keep our campers happy and physically and emotionally safe
  • Assist with watering, weeding, planting, harvesting, and processing produce as needed

Desired Skills/Traits:

  • Interest and/or experience working with younger teens
  • Ideas for games, crafts, and/or cooking
  • Physical and mental ability to be an outdoor leader in all types of weather
  • Positive, energetic, patient
  • A good role model

Interns are compensated $50 per day, 5 days per week, equally $250.

To apply, click the button below or email Kate Reimanis at [email protected].

Do you enjoy working outside, growing food, and learning about plants? The summer garden apprentices will work alongside the Garden Coordinator to plant, water, weed, harvest, and tend the school garden.

This position has a 4-6 hours per week commitment, for 5-6 weeks, June- August. We will create the schedule together, based on your other summer plans.

Qualifications:

  • willingness to do physical work outside
  • ability to be work even if when hot, sweaty, and dirty
  • be on-time and reliable
  • use tools safely
  • have a positive attitude

Students are compensated $15 per hour.