It’s a summer of learning at Mass Insight Education & Research

Teachers and students hit the books, virtually, and get a head start on fall classes

July 28, 2021 – Boston – Two Mass Insight summer learning programs are filled to capacity this year as teachers and students from around the world sign-on for classes to develop their knowledge and skills for Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Mass Insight’s Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI) for AP teachers and the new Summer Bridge program for current and future AP students are both fully enrolled and in full swing this month.

Held annually since 2009, APSI provides AP teachers with professional development from College Board certified instructors in 37 subjects ranging from AP math, science, English, Spanish, human geography, psychology, history, and government courses to AP Capstone, a two-year research and seminar inter-disciplinary program of studies for high school students. Over 500 AP teachers are participating in this year’s APSI, being held virtually for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 concerns. This year’s APSI has international enrollment with AP teachers from Massachusetts and across the United States joined by teachers in Canada, China, Brazil, Egypt, Guatemala, Japan, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. Mass Insight’s APSI partner, Bridgewater State University, the campus host for APSI, has worked alongside Mass Insight during the last two years to ensure the smooth implementation of the virtual program.   

“We are grateful that so many AP teachers from Massachusetts and across the globe joined us for this year’s APSI, especially after a very stressful year for teachers,” said Sally Guadagno, Mass Insight’s Managing Director of Advanced Academics. “The high-quality professional development offered to AP teachers by our world-class faculty is helping to narrow the equity gap in AP education by making AP courses more accessible to students.”  

Hundreds of Massachusetts high school students are also attending virtual classes this summer to get an early start on the AP courses they will be taking in September. Mass Insight’s Summer Bridge program, supported by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is offering twelve AP skills courses to prepare students for rigorous AP classes.  Nearly 400 students from 77 Massachusetts high schools are participating in this new program. 

Scott Nickles, coordinator of the Summer Bridge program and a Mass Insight AP content director said, “It is terrific to see so many students participating in these classes and putting in the extra time before school starts in September.” 

APSI is taking place from July 19th through July 30th and the Summer Bridge program from July 26th through August 6th.