Student Diplomacy Experimental College (SDXCO): Massachusetts

The Story:

College starts now. Earn three college credits this summer on a college campus tucked into the rolling hills of the Berkshire Mountains. Walk in the shoes of a college student by exploring new concepts with classmates from across the country, experiencing college dorm life, and becoming part of campus clubs or affinity groups. Living in one of Western Massachusetts’ most vibrant hubs of arts and culture, go on a private tour of Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art with a curator. Build meaningful relationships with professors from top universities while discussing topics from public health to hip hop and civil rights. Appreciate the effort that goes into food production while volunteering on one of the regions many small-scale organic farms. Meet with admissions officers and share a meal with current students after touring one of the area’s top colleges. Take swim lessons and earn a certificate in CPR/First Aid, equipping you with important life skills. This summer, open your eyes to a unique part of New England and to your ability to thrive within the rigors and community of college life.

The Program:

Your SDXCO adventure will take place on the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in North Adams, MA. Spend the first few days building bonds with your fellow Student Diplomats through scavenger hunts and late-night pizza in the dorms. Familiarize yourself with MCLA’s library, North Adams’ world-renowned arts institutions, and other local hot spots. Discover the nature trails and swimming holes near campus alongside teaching associates – young adults recently graduated from college who will be your mentors and academic support throughout the summer. Share a meal with your professor and dive into the life of a college student. Mornings may start with yoga, meditation, tai chi, a swim in the lake, or a conversation with classmates. Catch up with friends over a quick breakfast in the dining hall, then grab your books and head to class. While debating the role that race and class play in healthcare in Public Health & Social Work, or workshopping a peer’s poem in Pasifika Poets, build connections, community, and healthy discourse with your classmates and teaching team. When classes wrap up at the end of the day, head to your professor’s office hours, join a study group to tackle the night’s reading, head to the local YMCA for beginners’ swim lessons, or enjoy a well-deserved break on the volleyball court. Grab food in the dining hall, then catch a professor’s guest lecture on the politics of race in America; listen in on an MCLA admissions counselor’s pointers on the college application process; or meet with your TA to get feedback on your final paper proposal. When the weekend rolls around, you’ll be ready to take a break from studying and catch a dance show at Jacob’s Pillow or a concert at Mass MoCA; meet administrators and students at nearby colleges and universities like Williams and SUNY Albany; or kayak down the idyllic Deerfield River with SDXCO students, Professors, and staff. At the end of the summer, celebrate your incredible accomplishments with a program-wide graduation ceremony.

Sample 2024 Courses:

SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Ethnography – Latinx Migrant Narratives in the United States
• Anthropology – Indigenous Hip-Hop of the Americas

HUMANITIES

• Pacific Voices: Pasifika Women’s Poetry and Literature

THE ARTS

• The Power of the Word – A Study of Hip Hop through Social Justice

STEM

• Imagining Environmental Futures