Four Weeks, Endless Possibilities: Inside NMH Summer

As summer kicked into high gear, students from across the globe gathered on the Northfield Mount Hermon campus for four weeks of fun, learning, and making memories during NMH Summer 2026.

This year's session featured classes for 7th- through 12th-graders, exploring everything from rocket science to the art of fly -fishing, with opportunities for cross-disciplinary learning and the chance to earn academic credit.

"We've gotten the chance to develop some really interesting courses that go beyond the typical high school and middle school classroom sequence," said Rebecca Ramos, director of NMH Summer. Three-hour class blocks allow students to take deep dives into subjects they're passionate about and engage with the subject matter in a variety of ways.

"In that one class period, they might have a 20-minute lecture, followed by an activity, then they're going out and around campus for some sort of exploration field trip or lab," said Ramos. "Our teachers have been really leaning into a lot of field trips, so they can do as much hands-on learning as possible."

The program also featured a college fair for NMH Summer and local students, with representatives from more than 25 schools.

Ramos hopes the unique combination of academics, exploration, and empowerment that NMH Summer offers leaves students with "new knowledge, new ways of thinking about the world, new ways of connecting with other people, and, hopefully, a heightened appreciation for the learning that they can do here and the teachers that help shape that."

Read on for some examples of a typical day at NMH Summer:

Model UN Fellowship

It was 10 in the morning, but the students in the Model United Nations Fellowship were already deep into a discussion about a nuclear crisis involving several fictitious countries, with each delegate negotiating to find a lasting consensus.

Such is a typical day in the MUN fellowship, where students learn the ins and outs of diplomacy and protocol, sharpen their critical thinking and public speaking skills, and debate real-world issues.

"I think that MUN is naturally an empathy-building exercise," said teacher Tiffany Thiri, faculty advisor to the NMH Model UN team. "It gives them a structure and a way of sharing their ideas to empower and equip them to go out into their own communities and do something."

In addition to an overview of MUN fundamentals, the class heard from several guest speakers who shared their experiences with international service work and community initiatives. Students also visited the United Nations Headquarters in New York, taking a guided tour and watching delegates from around the world participate in the General Assembly.

"It was an awesome experience," said Kaito Asano '29. "[Being there,] you felt like you were a part of the world."

Asano's time in the MUN fellowship helped him gain confidence in his public speaking abilities and learn how to craft better arguments and positions, he said. "At first, I was nervous, but now I feel kind of free, and my brain doesn't freeze up too much compared to before."

Psychology Fellowship

Down the hall in the Gilder Center, students in the Psychology Fellowship were exploring the fundamentals of modern psychology through novel projects and interactive demonstrations.

"We try to focus on the 'big hits' of the field, with a lot of activities based around the topics we cover," said lead instructor and longtime NMH faculty member Atta Kurzman. "With a three-hour class, we have to be innovative to keep students active and engaged."

Today's class began with a lecture by guest speaker Quentin Moliterno '20, who led students through a guided meditation session as an example of some of the studies around stress reduction techniques he’s conducted as a graduate student at Harvard University. Class ended with a scavenger hunt through Gilder designed by summer teaching fellow Adam Fitzsimmons '22.

The experience has given Fitzsimmons a greater appreciation for the art of teaching. "When I first got back here, I wasn't sure what kind of role I would be taking on in this class, but we've had fantastic opportunities to get in front of the class and present on stuff that we're really passionate about. Atta's great at giving us some freedom in terms of shaping the lesson plans."

Kurzman hopes to provide students with the tools to better understand themselves during a pivotal time in their lives and inspire some to pursue psychology at the next level. "I think a lot of people come into a psychology class thinking it's just about therapy and mental illness," she said, "but it's so much more."

Inside the Athlete

Next door in Calagione Fitness Center, students put their classroom lessons into action in "Inside the Athlete." Taught by NMH athletic trainer Kerem Posacioglu and teaching fellow Meena Relyea-Strawn '23, the course delved into the science behind the body's energy systems, the physical mechanics of movement, nutrition, training, and recovery techniques.

One by one, students applied that morning's lesson on proper sprinting techniques, running a series of drills, which Posacioglu and Relyea-Strawn filmed for later review.

The goal of the class is to provide students with a "holistic understanding of how their body works" and empower them to make better decisions around their health, while dispelling the misinformation prevalent across social media, Posacioglu said.

"Coaches don't have 24/7 supervision of high school athletes and college athletes like they have on elite levels, so it is important that the kids themselves have enough knowledge so they can apply some of the concepts," he said. "I don't expect them to know every detail; I just want them to get a general understanding of how their body works and the different types of training they can do to better their performance."

English-Language Immersion

Across campus, Tom Hogencamp's English-Language Immersion class was also using athletics as the basis of that day's lesson, as students learned about the life and times of Olympian Jesse Owens and the legacy of the Harlem Renaissance.

Through reading assignments, writing exercises, and group discussions, English-Language Immersion students not only develop competency in the English language, but gain an understanding of American culture and history.

"We've gotten to bring in culture, history, geography, and some elements of the Civil Rights Movement," said Hogencamp, who began working at NMH Summer as a teaching fellow in 2017. "We've got a wide range of ages, so we try to find something where the reading level makes sense but there's also some stuff that you can unpack with them."

Lessons were interspersed with lighthearted exercises meant to further spur discussion: Students completed daily journal entries on fictitious subjects or competed in rapid-fire quizzes to see who could name the most animals, musicians, or sporting events in English.

Hogencamp calls these exercises "Making Conversation 101."

"The goal is to build the confidence, the skills, and the courage to take part in more English language conversations, be it in school or in their personal lives," he said. "You can kind of feel the electricity when they're having fun and laughing. That's how you know it's working."

Dance Class

Down in Rowland Studio in the Rhodes Arts Center, students focused on developing confidence, comfort, and joy in the art of movement.

"The approach for us has been to just have fun," said lead teacher Bryna Gage. "They're in pretty intense classes all morning, so this afternoon is a release and a creative outlet."

That doesn't mean students weren't learning, however, noted teaching fellow Meena Relyea-Strawn '23. The class ran through warm-up routines and dance techniques as they rehearsed for a performance at the end of the session.

Relyea-Strawn said she draws on the lessons she learned as a student in the NMH Dance Company. "I was really impacted by the teachers I had growing up, especially at this school. There are so many different ways to approach a movement, and every student learns differently."

The ultimate goal, added Gage, is to help students find their own measure of success. "Whether it's 'I know I can do a pas de bourrée now,' or 'My chaînés are great,' or 'I was so excited to be on that stage and not nervous,' I want them to walk away with a new level of confidence."

Leadership, Education, Adventure, and Discovery Outdoor Program

Outside of The Blake Student Center, students in the Leadership, Education, Adventure, and Discovery program gathered for the day's excursion. Over the previous two weeks, they'd rafted down the Deerfield River, practiced rock climbing, and learned basic wilderness safety skills. Today, they would hike up nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. The program gives students the chance to stretch their legs, relax their minds, and forge new friendships outside of a traditional classroom atmosphere.

"I think this is a pivotal age, when you start to realize what you like and what you don't," said Nathan Starhill, one of several teaching fellows leading the class. "These kids are from all over the world. Some of them are from the city and don't have much access to the outdoors. I want to get them excited about exploring nature."

Milo, a summer student from Northampton, enjoyed revisiting his favorite local outdoor spaces, learning new skills, and brushing up on some old ones. Meanwhile, Caroline, an international student from Taiwan, said her most important takeaway from class was "how to be part of a group."

It's those outcomes that make the class emblematic of NMH's values, said co-teacher Tallis Arnold. "Even a short hike really opens their eyes to what is possible. It pushes them outside of their comfort zone and teaches them things they didn't know about themselves, which is an important part of the NMH experience. We want them to learn and grow as humans, while also having a good time."

— Max Hunt

Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh, Max Hunt, and courtesy of NMH Summer. See more photos from NMH Summer 2026 on Flickr.