How the Program Works | Schedule | Student Life | Program Staff

Young Scholars Discovery welcomes rising eighth and ninth grade middle school students to an extraordinary learning opportunity at the University of Maryland. For two challenging weeks, Discovery nurtures academically talented students who share similar interests, abilities, and goals. Discovery scholars explore new ideas, acquire skills and knowledge, and learn about career opportunities. Innovative faculty provide dynamic instruction and encourage interactive problem solving. This summer, discover, explore, grow, and learn about university life at Maryland with Young Scholars Discovery!

My daughter was very excited about the program. She enjoyed the coursework and instructor, but most of all, the camaraderie of the other students. She didn’t want to leave. I commend the program mentors, instructors, and administration for a job well done! You made Discovery an enjoyable learning experience for my daughter. Thanks and see you next year! P.S. She is also considering UMD as a potential college choice. DISC parent

In Young Scholars Discovery, middle school students select one course, devoting a large part of the two weeks to attending class, enjoying field trips or guest speakers, and working on projects. The learning continues beyond the classroom with interactive afternoon seminars and evening social activities. Discovery scholars have access to many of the same world-class facilities used by current University of Maryland students.

My son, age 13 yrs, received direct exposure to college life style. He took a course that reinforced his academic capability and instilled confidence. The program provided exposure to top caliber faculty. The program exposed him to the maturity level of college students. DISC parent

Course-Related

Discovery offers engaging courses that encourage creative reasoning and problem solving.

• Classes meet every day, Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Field trips and/or guest speakers broaden your understanding of the field through career discovery.
• You should expect to purchase books, class packets, or classroom supplies.
• Course syllabi that list these additional requirements are accessible via the Web site.

The program helped my daughter to develop her reasoning skills and her public speaking skills. DISC parent

Afternoon Seminars

Discovery scholars participate in a series of interactive seminars presented by Kids for Peace. Each afternoon, 2-4 p.m., middle school students share in fun and challenging activities, discuss topics such as diplomacy, globalization, world geography, and who they are as Americans.

Through lively games and real-life scenarios, the Kids for Peace experience helps build intercultural understanding, conflict resolution, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Founded in 2001, Kids for Peace runs camps and workshops based on the underlying premise “that in order to enjoy a more peaceful world, we must first understand how other people live, what they believe, and what factors in their daily lives affect the way in which they look at the world.”

My daughter took time to share details with us from the "Kids for Peace" learning experiences. It was obvious that this had a positive impact on her and increased her awareness of global issues. Thank you! DISC parent

Social Activities

Find out what Maryland has to offer! Social activities are an exciting way to meet and hang out with other Discovery Scholars in a relaxed and fun environment. There are planned activities that include weekend day-trips to Washington, DC, barbecues, pool parties, laser tag, and more.

The level of challenge, the amount of time balance between class and other activities, and the mentors were great. The teacher was excellent! DISC parent

Perfect! DISC student

Click here for a general schedule for Young Scholars Discovery. At check-in (Sunday, July 15), you’ll be given a more detailed schedule for the two-week program.

The enrollment was very well organized. Thank You. DISC parent

Residential Discovery Scholars live in traditional style residential halls with bedroom occupancy ranging from 1 to 4 middle school students of the same gender. Residential students are supervised by program mentors who accompany students on weekend field trips, social activities, seminars, and other events. Residential students enjoy meals in the University’s dining hall or at special activity-based events.

Commuter Discovery Scholars live at home and travel to and from campus on a daily basis. All students eat lunch at the campus dining hall.

This was a great experience. The fact that the students were always shadowed by a mentor added peace of mind for me, being over 100 miles away. DISC parent

Eric Johnson, Assistant Director

With more than 10 years of career experience in higher education, pre-college and summer programs, Eric provides valuable leadership and experience to the Office of Extended Studies. Eric has a background in both student affairs and academic affairs and has made it his mission to provide students with a meaningful, memorable and fun summer experience. Having graduated from the University of Maryland Eric is a true Maryland TERP. In his spare time, Eric also teaches Introduction to the University to incoming freshmen at the University of Maryland to empower students with the tools to successfully transition into the college environment. Eric enjoys working with students from all over the world to help them "Get Ready, Get Started and Get Ahead!"

Randy Tripp Jr., Coordinator

With a background in college admission Randy has a passion for students at every point in the college pipeline. From middle school students to college students, Randy tries to provide students with as much information as possible while making sure the students enjoy themselves during the summer. As a graduate of and former admission officer at The College of William and Mary, Randy brings experience from a small, public, liberal arts college to UMD and is now proud to call himself a TERP. As coordinator for this program, Randy supervises our student mentors who oversee the day to day activities of the students. Working with students is why Randy loves higher education and why he is excited about working in the Office of Extended Studies.

Mentors

Selected University of Maryland students serve as summer program mentors. The mentors supervise students in the dormitories to ensure safe, appropriate behavior. Mentors also oversee activities, encourage students to explore the University, accompany those students to dinner who are uncomfortable going alone or who cannot find a group to eat with, and provide participants with an insider’s view of what college life is like. The mentors live in the residence hall with the program participants and are responsible for responding to any situations that may arise, and for doing nightly curfew checks.

All the mentors were awesome. DISC student

Discovery was the best. I had a wonderful time. I want to come back next year. Love you guys. DISC student