Working in education, I am often asked if I enjoy my summers off. For sure, activity on a college campus is slower during the summer months when compared to fall and spring; however, at Fulton-Montgomery Community College, there are many activities in which to engage.
First, of course, are summer classes. While the number of students enrolled in college courses reduces from thousands to hundreds in the summer, FM has two summer sessions and a number of offerings to help students get ahead or catch up with their studies. We often see students who are home from other colleges take classes to transfer back to their college or university. Aside from classes, there are a number of other activities that take place on the FM campus during the summer as well.
This year, FM will host the region's first "Buck Moon Arts Festival" on Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13. This Arts Festival is designed to bring a variety of artists from our area together for a large celebration of the arts. There will be music, dance, seminars, vendors, photography, paintings, a play, etc., for the entire weekend. We expect to have thousands of people visit the region and our campus to participate. Visit buckmoonartsfestival.com for all the details.
Summer also brings to our campus a number of educational opportunities for students of all ages through our Summer Academy. This year students in grades 3 - 5 can experience classes like: Science Can Be Fun, American Sign Language, Marvelous Monsters, Hands-On Tech, The Voice, and many others. Students in grades 6 - 9 can experience such classes as: Sprouting Spartans, Think Outside the Box, The Phreekshow School of Magic and Illusion, Hunger Games, and others. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn and have fun on the FM campus.
Another activity includes our summer sports camps. We host opportunities for young students who want to hone their skills in a variety of sports, giving them a chance to play their favorite sport on a college campus while getting a firsthand look at our FM facilities.
Then, there is planning for next year. We are heavily involved in recruiting students for Fall. We host a number of families as they tour our campus and decide if FM is the right college for their student. There will be several orientation sessions for first-time students and their families. In these sessions we strive to let students know the expectations that college brings of them and how to deal with some of the stresses of those expectations.
There is always physical plant work to do in the summer as well; a good cleaning of the facilities, remodeling, updating, etc., often takes place in the summer months. This summer FM is adding/ replacing $800,000 worth of technology across our campus in order to improve the students' experience during the year.
There are continuous happenings on FM's campus all summer long. Whether its college courses, Summer Academy, or the Buck Moon Arts Festival, I hope that you can join us this summer.