Dawson Summer Initiative

Five-Week Thematic Session JUNE 7 - JULY 7, 2023

Applying to Dawson Summer Initiative

Thank you for your interest in Dawson Summer Initiative (DSI).

The application process for Summer 2023 is now closed. 

Please contact DSI with any questions:
Call us:  303-381-0444
Please email us: lmichael@dawsonschool.org
For Summer 2023, our theme is Navigating Our Future: Solving Challenges Creatively. Global and local challenges are becoming increasingly more complex owing to their interconnectedness and scope. How can we cooperate creatively (locally, nationally, and internationally) to solve our challenges going forward?

How can we work together across national boundaries, differences in ideology, and cultural identities to create environments where we can use technology, local and international experts, and novel approaches to tackle our complex environment? Please join us for a collaborative exploration in this exciting endeavor to positively impact our world.
 
FIVE-WEEK PROGRAM DATES:  JUNE 7 - JULY 7, 2023

Program Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

A Typical Day

CLICK HERE to see 'A Day in the Life of DSI' video created by 2017 scholars.

CLICK HERE to see the student video blog (vlog) created by 2022 scholars.

The program runs from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. While there is no assigned homework, many students enjoy discussing, researching, and further exploring the themes of the day from home. 

Weeks 1 & 2:
  • Engage in thoughtful discussions with guest speakers/experts in the field
  • Work within a single discipline: Inquiry, Analysis, or Communication with an instructor and peers to develop skills for project development
  • Learn the ins and outs of video production and Photoshop
  • Participate in daily physical activity, enjoying the outdoors and moving around 
Weeks 3-5:
  • Re-group into multi-disciplinary project teams
  • Identify and create projects that examine authentic solutions to local, national, and global challenges
In prior summers, scholars explored the following themes:
2022: Forward: The Age of Transformation
2021: Global Balance: The Art of Managing Change
2020: One Planet: Design Our Future
2019: Adapt: Thriving Through Change
2018: Information: Possibilities & Pitfalls
2017: Fresh Start: Re-Imagining How We Live
2016: Innovation & Impact: Change Through Creativity
2015: On the Move: Transportation, Globalization, Innovation
2014: Exploring the Digital Revolution
2013: Climate: Vital Signs of the Planet
2012: Food: Feeding Ourselves and the World
2011: Energy: Science, Society and the Powering of Our Planet
2010: Epidemic: Past and Present
2009: Water (at Alexander Dawson School at Rainbow Mountain, Las Vegas)
 
 
Please contact DSI with any questions:

Call us:  303-381-0444
Email us:  lmichael@dawsonschool.org

Past DSI Themes: