Academic Programs

American Government/Economics (Online)

Beginning Guitar 

Biology (Online)

Chemistry

Cultural History of Western Civilization (Online)

Geometry 

Lifetime Recreation

Media

Personal Fitness and Health 

Physics

Spanish 1

U.S. History (Online)

World History (Online)

Ethics 

Health (Online)

World Religions

Algebra 1/Customized High School Math Online Review

Algebra 2 Online Review

Honors Pre-Calculus Online Review

Pre-Algebra Online Review

Three-Week Guided Online Math Review

Register Now

Algebra 1 covers the subject matter traditionally included in a rigorous first-year course of algebra. Emphasis is placed on the development of manipulative skills, algebraic structure, and solutions of verbal problems. Topics covered include: operations with real numbers, rational and irrational algebraic expressions, and polynomials; solving linear, rational and quadratic equations, solving systems of linear equations and inequalities, and solving word problems related to each type of equation studied; factoring algebraic expressions, an introduction to functions and several types of variation. A graphing calculator and a laptop computer are used for classroom demonstrations, discovery activities, and as an aid in problem solving. 

This is an online review class.

**This online course could also be customized to meet the review needs for any high school math course, not just Algebra 1. For further details, please contact the Summer Programs Office at (813) 885-1673 Ext. 2239.**

Weeks 2-7 (review)

Register Now

Algebra 2 emphasizes the further development of Algebra 1 skills, the treatment of geometric concepts from an algebraic point of view, more advanced problem-solving techniques, and the study of mathematics as a unified structure. Topics covered include: conic sections, rational expressions, equations and inequalities, systems of linear equations, word problems, functions, factoring, quadratic equations with rational and irrational roots, irrational numbers, imaginary and complex numbers, graphs, variations, exponents and logarithms, coordinate geometry, quadratic functions, equations of the second degree and their graphs, polynomial functions, exponential functions, logarithmic function and matrices. A student who is enrolled in this course is required to purchase a graphing calculator. It will be used extensively to perform discovery activities, for classroom demonstrations, and to serve as an aid for homework completion.  

This is an online review class.

Weeks 2-7 (review)

Register Now

The purpose of American Government is to give the student an understanding of how government works and why the system is as it is. The American Government course includes discussion of the U.S. Constitution, structure and function of the national government, the concept of federalism, as well as political parties and elections. Students should also develop an awareness of currents events in the areas being studied.

Economics addresses the following fundamental economic concepts: production, prices and costs; production possibilities and the factors of production; supply/demand theory and the achievement of market equilibrium; savings and investment; the continuum from pure competition to monopoly; business firms and business funding; the dual economic goals of growth and stability; the flow of goods and services; the measurement of economic activity; the role that banks, businesses, government and other organizations play in the determination of policy to achieve economic goals. Time permitting at the end of the course, an investigation into the intricacies of the stock market will be undertaken.

This online course requires the completion of a major research paper. Additionally, students must be present on campus for the final exam at the end of July.

PREREQUISITE: World History

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 10th – 11th)

Register Now

This is a summer version of the in-year Beginning Guitar course. Students can expect to learn the same material at an accelerated pace, six hours a day for three weeks. Students should expect to play regularly in this class, but not every lesson will involve playing, and may instead involve reading music or discussing music theory concepts and key figures in guitar-based music. The objective of this course is to give students a baseline competency in playing acoustic guitar, as well as some basic general musician skills. This will involve knowing and playing simple and complex chords, sight reading music, learning to understand and read the different ways guitar music is written (tablature, chord sheets, and sheet music), and learning about the history of guitar-based music in American and world cultures. The class will culminate in a student-choice project, where students will select, learn, and perform a song for the class.

Weeks 5-7 (incoming 9th – 12th)

Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

About the Instructor

Jack Eppink has a B.S. in English Education and a M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida State University. He has three years teaching experience, two of which are at Berkeley. Eppink is self-taught in guitar and has been playing guitar for 10 years. He has played both recreationally and professionally, with six years of live performance experience on a variety of stages with a variety of musical genres. He is also a published musician and songwriter. He is primarily an English teacher, but has taught guitar lessons in the past and is excited to launch this exciting summer offering.

Register Now

The Summer Biology course is based on a conceptual and laboratory approach to understanding the nature of living things. The course opens with an introduction to the scientific method and basic chemistry. Subsequent units cover all of the major aspects of the cell and cell theory, including structure and function, photosynthesis and respiration, meiosis and mitosis, the cell cycle, nucleic acids and protein production. Students are also given an introduction to genetics and heredity, including Mendelian genetics. The second half of the course is devoted to classification and a survey of all of the major kingdoms of living organisms with an emphasis on humans. This course will be taught entirely online.  Students will be required to participate in weekly to biweekly labs with materials supplied in a returnable lab kit as well as common items from home. In lieu of a final exam, students will submit a cumulative research project. 

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 9th and 10th)

About the Instructor

Maria Cardona has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a master’s  degree in Secondary Science Education from the University of South Florida. She has 13 years teaching experience teaching middle and high school science. She has taught a variety of science topics including Astronomy, Biology, and Environmental Science.

Register Now

This course covers the fundamental concepts of an introduc­tory chemistry course. Topics studied include the phases of matter and transitions between these phases, types of chemical reac­tions, mathematics of chemical reactions and energy changes which accompany those reactions; atomic theory, models, periodicity, bonding theory, properties of solutions, kinetics, equilibrium, acid-base chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. The course is paced so that students are able to progress with comprehension and intuitive understanding.

PREREQUISITE: Physics or Honors Physics, Algebra II or higher than Algebra II.

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 11th and 12th)

8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (On Campus)

For those needing to re-take a credit course, please check with your school’s academic counselor first about taking a summer academic course. In addition, please contact our Summer Programs office for availability.

Register Now

This online course is designed to give students a historical per­spective relative to Western art, sculpture, architecture, music, and ideas. Using audio/visual demonstrations, discussions and comprehensive texts, the course introduces students to Western culture as it has de­veloped from the Greco-Roman period to the present. As an enrichment to the course, a field trip to a local museum is part of the class.

This course may serve as a History or VAPA credit or elective Global Scholars credit.

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 11th and 12th)

Register Now

In this course, students explore the philosophical understanding of moral philosophy. Moral Philosophy or Ethics strives to guide our ideas and behaviors about our society and the world. As the culmination of the Upper Division’s religious studies curriculum, this course encourages students to synthesize and apply what has already been established to hone decision-making skills in contemporary life. Students will engage in debate and learn how to articulate their moral ideas based on the ideas of philosophers such as Socrates, Locke, Kant, and Bentham. Moral dilemmas are discussed, and the use of sophisticated theories spanning religion to Greek philosophy provide the ethical foundation for developing the skills required of a young man or woman to present valid moral arguments. Evaluating the ideas developed in western civilization while developing the analytical skills necessary to navigate a complex modern world. Independent thinking is encouraged with all students required to support their ethical reasoning in the form of written analysis, presentation and informal debate. There is a final exam at the end of the semester and grades are comprised of regular homework assignments, unit tests, and in-class activities. This course earns ½ credit toward Upper Division graduation requirement, and grades contribute to students’ GPA.

This class is offered twice over the summer: June 9-27 and July 7-25 (incoming eleventh and twelfth graders)

About the Instructor

Dr. Kevin Douglas Kuswa is the co-author of Argumentation and Critical Thought: An Introduction to Advocacy, Reasoning, and Rhetorical Analysis, a textbook used in debate classes at the collegiate level. Dr. Kuswa’s students have been successful at every stage, winning virtually every debate tournament in the country on the high school and collegiate levels. He has been teaching and coaching debate for 25 years at institutions such as the University of Richmond, California State University, the University of South Carolina, and Dartmouth College (where his team won the National Debate Championship). Dr. Kuswa himself won the National Championship debating for Georgetown University, where he received a degree from the School of Foreign Service. Earning his Ph.D. in Communication Studies with a specialty in Rhetoric from the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Kuswa has presented his scholarship at numerous conferences and published pieces in the top journals in the field such as the Quarterly Journal of Speech, Rhetoric and Public Affairs, and Argumentation and Advocacy. Teaching has long been Dr. Kuswa’s passion, and he is ecstatic to be serving as the Head Debate Coach and Upper Division History and Religious Studies faculty member at Berkeley.

Mr. Kurt Wahlgren earned a master’s degree in U.S. and Transnational History from Central Michigan University. After completing his graduate work, he became an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina Sumter. He has 15 years of experience teaching numerous history and political science courses. Mr. Wahlgren has taught at Pacific American School in Taiwan, George Washington Academy in Morocco, and Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mr. Wahlgren is a faculty member in the Upper Division History and Religious Studies Department at Berkeley. 

Register Now

Geometry is an integrated course in plane and solid geometry that includes the following topics: geometry in the coordinate plane, line and angle properties, properties of polygons, circles, Pythagorean Theorem, area, volume, similarity, right triangle trigonometry, and geometric proof. Students will investigate concepts and build conceptual understanding while continuing to develop, reinforce, and master computational skills. Students should maintain a comprehensive notebook consisting of definitions, conjectures, investigations, and constructions. A graphing calculator and a laptop computer are used in this course. This course is offered during the summer to students who need to retake the course for credit. The summer course will NOT be used to move from Algebra 1 to Algebra 2 without specific permission from the Math Department Chair. If a student has earned a grade of 95 for the year in our Honors Algebra 1, then this Geometry course over the summer will make way for a move to our Honors Algebra 2 in their ninth grade year.

PREREQUISITE: Admission requires successful completion of Algebra 1 (with a score of 95 or above and with departmental approval).

Weeks 2-7 (department approval)

Register Now

This online class meets only half the requirement of the Personal Fitness/Health course. Students are still obligated to take one semester of Personal Fitness in ninth grade.

The health class will be taught online (June 2-20 or July 7-25). For the June session, there will be a required Microsoft Teams meeting at 11:30 a.m. on June 2. For the July session, there will be a required Microsoft Teams meeting at 8:30 a.m. on July 8.  

Registration for this class opens in April.

Weeks 2-4; 5-7 (incoming 9th)

About the Instructor

Coach Sean Davidson began participating in Adventure Education activities 25 years ago and loves that it can challenge everyone from the most novice climber to the most advanced. In addition to teaching Physical Education and Health at Berkeley, he also is the Adventure Education Coordinator, leads the Experiential Module of the Leadership Academy at Berkeley, and coaches JV Basketball.

Register Now

Honors Precalculus is designed primarily for students who plan to continue their study of mathematics by taking Calculus at Berkeley or in college. The concepts of algebraic, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic functions are stressed. Conic sections, sequences and series, introductory probability and statistics, polar coordinates and graphing, and elementary concepts of calculus are also included. Students enrolled in the course are required to have graphing calculators for classroom and assignment activities. This course is offered in the summer for rising juniors and seniors. 

This is an online review course.

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 10th – 12th)

Register Now

Summer Lifetime Recreation will be a hybrid class that covers a variety of physical activities that students will be able to participate in for their entire lives. Additionally, they will learn about how they can use fitness and nutrition to supplement their health and wellbeing as well as achieve their personal goals.

Weeks 2-4 (incoming 9th – 12th)

Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Location: Straz Family Field House

About the Instructor

Register Now

Media = Art Materials and Processes.

This course is designed as an introduction to the visual arts in which students will explore a variety of media (i.e. graphite, charcoal, acrylic paint, ink, watercolor) and processes employed by visual artists like drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, and mixed media. This course is taught as a foundational course for all Studio Art classes. Students will discover contemporary artists who inspire them as they begin to develop skill and sensitivity to media.

Weeks 1-3 (June 2 – June 20) 

This course is open to all interested students as class load permits. This course is considered a prerequisite for Intermediate Art and Computer Animation and can be a prerequisite for Digital Photography.

Register Now

Personal Fitness/Health will provide information on the various components that make up one’s personal fitness and health, so students can make informed decisions. This course is divided into two components, one being the physical activity piece and the other being the health academic piece. The health component will be in an online class setting, and the physical activity component will be held on campus.

The health component is designed to provide the students with the knowledge and skills to obtain an optimal level of wellness. Students will be completing this part of the course online using myBerkeley and the class LibGuides to receive lessons and submit assignments. Students will not be meeting in person but rather through an online classroom, which students can access daily at their convenience. Topics will include but are not limited to fitness, nutrition, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, disease prevention, sexual and reproductive health.

The physical activity portion of this class will include an introduction to the weight room and a workout at the start of each class. The class will participate in the following units: cooperative Project Adventure activities, gatorball, pickleball, indoor soccer, football, team handball, basketball, hockey, rock climbing, water polo, high elements, and frisbee games. The sport/activities covered in the physical activity portion of the course directly relate to the classroom curriculum in order to fully support students in achieving an optimal level of wellness.

The activity portion of the class will run from June 2-June 20 from 8:30-11:30 a.m., Monday through Friday on campus.

Week 1-3 (incoming 9th)

Time: 8:30-11:30 a.m.

*This is the full credit PF/H course offering*

Registration for this class opens in April.

About the Instructor

Coach Sean Davidson began participating in Adventure Education activities 25 years ago and loves that it can challenge everyone from the most novice climber to the most advanced. In addition to teaching Physical Education and Health at Berkeley, he also is the Adventure Education Coordinator, leads the Experiential Module of the Leadership Academy at Berkeley, and coaches JV Basketball.

Coach Jamie Tedder is currently in her third year at Berkeley and 11th year of teaching. She was born and raised in South Carolina. Tedder attended and ran cross country at Spartanburg Methodist College, where she graduated with honors and earned the title of Academic All-American. She later received her B.S. in Physical Education from the University of South Carolina-Upstate. Tedder serves as a Physical Education Teacher in Middle Division at Berkeley, coaches Berkeley’s youngest swimmers in our Swim Strokes Program, and holds the position of Middle Division Swimming Coach. Her dedication to education and sports exemplifies her passion for fostering holistic development in her students.

Register Now

A student of Physics gains a conceptual introduction to the laws of the physical world. Subjects include motion analy­sis, forces, momentum, work, energy, heat, waves, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism. Problem-solving methods of teaching physics are used. Students improve their applied quantitative skills by solving physics problems, thereby illustrating knowledge of fundamental physics concepts. The course also stresses development of laboratory skills through regularly scheduled laboratory sessions and special projects. Students are en­couraged to question, observe, collect data, analyze results, and reach conclusions on physical relationships. Indepen­dent creative thought and study are encouraged throughout the course.

PREREQUISITE: Biology

Weeks 2-7 (12:30- 4 p.m.)

About the Instructor

Cindi Bradley earned her B.A. in Physics Education from Brigham Young University. After teaching AP Physics 1, 2, and C in Oklahoma for five years, she received the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association – High School Science Teacher of the Year Award. Bradley has also served as a College Board AP Physics Reader for four years. In the summer of 2019, she moved here to join our Berkeley family. Since joining Berkeley, Bradley has taught AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, Honors Physics, Honors Engineering and Design, and College Prep Physics. She is the mother of four children and has been married for 27 years. In her spare time, she enjoys board games and bike riding.

Register Now

This online course is designed to review concepts for seventh grade math in order to prepare students for their eighth grade year in algebra. This course is heavily loaded with the algebra concepts that the students will see in eighth grade.

This is an online review class.

Weeks 2-7: June 9 – July 25

Register Now

Students will practice test-specific strategies in a focused, intensive environment in order to maximize their scores on the SAT and ACT.  The class will be taught by Berkeley English Teacher Tom Brandt and Berkeley Math Teacher Danny Fisher.

This is a one-week session. A hearty lunch provided by Sage Dining Services is an add-on option for this camp.

Weeks 1, 4, 5, 6, and 7

Time: (English 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Math 12:30-3:30 p.m.) 

About the Instructor

Tom Brandt has taught English at three independent schools, spending the last 20 at Berkeley Preparatory School. He has taught AP® Language for 10 years, and he has served as an AP® Reader for all of those years. He holds a B.A. in English Literature, an M.A. in English Literature, and an M.F.A. in poetry.

Danny Fisher has been teaching middle school mathematics for 27 years. Has taught sixth grade, seventh grade, Honors Pre-Algebra, Honors Algebra, Honors Geometry, various upper division math courses, logic and reasoning, and competitive math courses. Fisher has also been teaching SAT/ACT math prep for the past 10 years.

Register Now

The Summer Spanish I course is designed specifically for students who have had previous exposure to the Spanish language and who have taken at least one year of Spanish previously but who need extra practice and foundational skill-building before qualifying for a Level 2 placement in the Fall. A heritage speaker who has previously taken another world language could also request consideration from the Department Chair to take this course. The ACTFL proficiency target for this course is Novice High. Novice High users of the language can express themselves on familiar topics using primarily memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions that have been highly practiced and memorized. Novice High students can occasionally build more complex sentences using connectors, use basic transitions, and begin to create language. Spanish I focus on the following six thematic units: 1) All About Me, 2) My Day at School, 3) Me and My Family, 4) In My Free Time, 5) It is Time to Eat, and 6) My Vacation. Students must take two Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs): one at the end of the third week and another at the conclusion of the course.

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 9th)

Qualifying students who meet the course requirements and level expectations will earn 1 credit and become eligible for Spanish 2 in the fall.

PREREQUISITE: Permission of the Department Chair, based on placement test results.

About the instructor

This course is taught by Señora Engel-Penaloza and Señora Álvarez (World Language Department Chair). Both instructors are Berkeley Preparatory School teachers with extensive experience teaching Spanish language and culture from novice to post-secondary courses.

Register Now

Don’t let your math skills drop over the summer! This three-week online program is personalized for each student to give them a head start in math for the upcoming school year. Included with each online class are two personalized sessions per week with Mr. Fisher (either face-to-face or via Microsoft Teams).

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 6th – 12th)

Choose a consecutive three-week increment during this time frame

About the Instructor

Danny Fisher has been teaching middle school mathematics for 27 years. Has taught sixth grade, seventh grade, Honors Pre-Algebra, Honors Algebra, Honors Geometry, various upper division math courses, logic and reasoning, and competitive math courses. Fisher has also been teaching SAT/ACT math prep for the past 10 years.

Register Now

The United States History course covers the time period from the 1820s through the 1980s. Topics to be studied include Sectionalism, the Civil War, Reconstruction, Westward Expansion, Industrialization, Urbanization and Immigration, Imperialism, the Progressive Era, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, Civil Rights, and Domestic and Foreign Affairs from the Truman Administration through the Reagan Administration.

This online course requires the completion of a major research paper.

PREREQUISITE: World History, American Government/Economics. For juniors and seniors only.

Weeks 2-7

Register Now

World History is an important foundational course in the History and Religious Studies Department at Berkeley. This course prepares students to analyze world events and their historical and contemporary causes through targeted practice in reading, thinking, and writing like an historian. Students engage deeply with a selected set of historical turning points and core concepts from 1500 to the present. This course also contains an extensive writing component to include in-class essays, document-based questions, and a major historical research paper.

This course serves as a required Global Scholars credit.

Weeks 2-7 (incoming 9th)

Register Now

God is revealed to different cultures in a variety of ways as this course explores the religions of the world. Traditionally the five major religions are considered: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. Students will study the philosophical foundations and the historical contexts of these major religions, and their studies will include an understanding of the lives, characters and teachings of the leaders of these faiths. By studying the scriptures, beliefs and forms of worship, students gain an understanding of how indispensable religious life has been to humankind through the millennia with particular emphasis placed on an appreciation of cultural myths, epic stories and philosophical underpinnings that truly characterize these traditions, with holidays and forms of worship as important topics of class discussion. This course will also focus on the geography, history and practice of these religions as they worked to form the cultural identity of their specific geographic area. There is a final exam at the end of semester, and grades are comprised of regular homework assignments, unit tests, and in-class activities.

This course earns ½ credit toward Upper Division graduation requirement, and grades contribute to students’ GPA. World Religions is the prerequisite to the Ethics course and must be completed prior to the start of a student’s junior year.

Registration for this class opens in April.

This class is offered twice over the summer: June 9 – June 27 and July 7 – July 25 (incoming 9th – 11th)

About the Instructor

The Reverend Brandon Peete has served for the past six years as Chaplain at Berkeley. In that time, he has contributed on the school’s lead Administrative Team, sponsored many Spiritual Life clubs, taught various religion classes and electives in the Middle and Upper Divisions, coached basketball and baseball, and launched multiple weekly student-led prayer services on campus. This is his fourth year teaching World Religions in Summer Programs, after having taught various iterations of this course at four different Episcopal schools across the country. As an ordained priest in the Diocese of Southwest Florida, he also serves at the altar on Sundays at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter in St. Petersburg, Florida. Chaplain Brandon is especially excited for the upcoming summer, as we will have the opportunity to learn World Religions together in the new Berkeley Chapel.