Harvard-Westlake Summer is divided into six different program areas: North Faring Exploration, Coldwater Prep, Coldwater Arts, HW Online, Debate LA, and Wolverine Sports.
NORTH FARING EXPLORATION AND COLDWATER PREP offer three-week, in-person programs where participants can choose up to three different classes. The day is divided to allow for an immersive experience:
9:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Period 1
10:50 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. Period 2
12:35 p.m. - 1:15 p.m. Lunch
1:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Period 3
On Fridays, classes will meet for 95 minutes and lunch will be extended. The pool will be available on Fridays for swimming, and the Kona Ice truck will be on campus. During free time, students can hang out in the quad, spend time with their friends, and relax. Harvard-Westlake prides itself in giving students free, undirected time, and we encourage summer participants to enjoy it as well.
NORTH FARING EXPLORATION OTHER PROGRAMS AND COLDWATER PREP OTHER PROGRAMS offer in-person, specialty classes that may be held outside of the times listed above. For those classes, please refer to the course description to get an idea of what to expect.
HW ONLINE offers specialty classes in a virtual format. Please refer to the course description to get an idea of what to expect. You will receive information from your teacher about the synchronous activities as well as the asynchronous, independent work. Generally, you can expect the total time of synchronous and asynchronous work to take the total class time listed in the course description. So, for a three hour class, you will have a blend of synchronous, online activities and asynchronous, offline activities. In total, these activities will require about three hours every day. You can expect all synchronous, online activities to be within the time frames listed for the classes though asynchronous activities may be completed outside that timeframe.
COLDWATER ARTS AND DEBATE LA: Students who enroll in Coldwater Arts and Debate LA will have an immersive experience in that one area. Most programs begin at either 9:00 a.m. or 10:00 a.m. and span five or six hours. Be sure to check the class details regarding specific program times.
WOLVERINE SPORTS CAMPS: Wolverine Sports Camps offer immersive, in-person camps.
Harvard-Westlake Summer takes the health and safety of your child very seriously. The following policies are in place to ensure the health of all participants and staff this summer.
VACCINATION REQUIREMENT FOR HW SUMMER IN-PERSON CLASSES
In order to participate in any in-person HW Summer program, your child will be required to be fully vaccinated against childhood diseases. In addition, Harvard-Westlake recommends vaccination against Covid-19. Information about your child's vaccinations will be collected when you register.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
We expect every student attending our programs to be and stay healthy. Therefore, if your child feels under the weather or has flu- and/or cold-like symptoms, please keep them home and seek medical advice. This may include being tested for any contagious illness including Covid-19. If your child is diagnosed with Covid-19 while attending a Harvard-Westlake Summer program, please notify us in the summer office (summer@hw.com) or the community health office (cho@hw.com) so that appropriate steps may be taken to ensure the health and safety of the other participants. Please note that if anyone shows any flu- and/or cold-like symptoms while attending Harvard-Westlake summer programs, they will be immediately sent home. Return to the program will require attestation from a medical doctor that they are clear of any contagious medical conditions.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
Please send your child with any snacks needed throughout the day as well as a reusable water bottle.
If you have any questions regarding our plan for summer 2024, please contact us.
Generally for in-person classes, all class activities will occur during class time; there will not be any homework. The exceptions are for-credit, academic classes such as Geometry, French 1, Spanish 1, and Spanish 2. Those in Debate LA's advanced labs can expect homework as well.
Virtual programs will include online class sessions as well as offline, independent work. Students will be sent links to virtual class sessions from their teachers. Generally, you can expect the total time of synchronous and asynchronous work to take the total class time listed in the course description. So, for a three hour class, you will have a blend of synchronous, online activities and asynchronous, offline activities that will require about three hours every day. You can expect all synchronous, online activities to be within the time frames listed for the classes though asynchronous activities may be completed outside that timeframe. Harvard-Westlake Summer has designed the program to allow for an appropriate blend of online and offline learning. Amounts will vary based on the age and grade level of the participants. Virtual programs combine both types of activities so that students do not have too much screen time.
Participants need to have their own technology to participate in our virtual summer program as well as access to the internet. Some in-person classes also require technology to participate. Any laptop will be sufficient for most summer classes. We know that many students attend schools that issue Chrome Books. While Chrome Books do not meet the minimum standards for our academic year program, a Chrome Book will be sufficient technology for most summer classes. If you have a Chrome Book and enroll in a summer class that requires a more sophisticated computer, we are happy to help you find an alternative course or lend you a laptop.
A limited number of computers are available for in-person students who are not able to supply their own technology. These computers may be used during the class time and will be kept at Harvard-Westlake for the duration of the course.
Students enrolled in virtual classes will also need an email account. Students who have a Harvard-Westlake email account can use it for their summer classes. Students who do not have a Harvard-Westlake email account will need a personal gmail account (not one from another school) since some summer classes will use Google Classroom.
If a student is under 13, parents can use their own gmail account to help their child access Harvard-Westlake Summer classes, or parents can use Google family link to create an email account for their child.
Please note that you can only use a Harvard-Westlake email account or a personal gmail account (not one from another school) for your Harvard-Westlake summer classes.
Once you have chosen the courses and programs, you will need to complete the enrollment process. After registration opens, click on the registration tab to be directed to our on-line enrollment forms. If you are a current Harvard-Westlake student with an active student account, you may bill your student account. A student’s Harvard-Westlake account can only be used to pay for that particular student’s summer courses and camps; fees for siblings or other household members must be paid by credit card or echeck. If you do not have an active Harvard-Westlake student account or do not wish to have your account billed, you must pay the full value of tuition before your child will be enrolled in any course or camp. Payment may be made by echeck or credit card. Because we purchase books and materials as well as secure teachers based on enrollment, full tuition is due upon registration and spaces will not be held without payment. Registrations for open courses will be accepted until the end of the week before the class or camp.
The enrollment deadline for a class or program depends upon its start date:
May 31: Enrollment Deadline for Programs Beginning in June
June 17: Enrollment Deadline for Programs Beginning in July
July 22: Enrollment Deadline for Programs Beginning in August
On the Program Overview page, you may check the start date for a particular class or program.
In-person classes will continue to accept registrations after the enrollment deadline if spaces are available. Be sure to review the cancellation policies if you register after the enrollment deadline. If an in-person class is full, waitlist registrations will be offered.
Virtual classes will only offer waitlist registrations after the enrollment deadline.
Harvard-Westlake is a school of limited enrollment and makes advance arrangements for the accommodation, materials, textbooks, and instruction of each of its students who has enrolled in Harvard-Westlake Summer. Thus, there is a $75 non-refundable registration fee required from each student.
If you withdraw from a class, camp, or program, you will receive a full refund, less the $75 non-refundable registration fee, provided you withdraw by the enrollment deadline for that class or program. No refund will be made if you withdraw from a class after the enrollment deadline. (See previous section for exact dates of the enrollment deadlines.)
Tuition is not prorated due to absence or late entry. Transfers between courses are allowed when space is available. Immediate payment is required for any incremental monies due based on course selection differential. No transfer credit is given for selection of a course which costs less than the original choice. Harvard-Westlake Summer reserves the right to cancel a class, camp, or program. A full 100% refund will be made for such cancellations.
If you would like to register for a class that is full, you will be give the option to be placed on the wait list if there is a wait list for that particular class or program. Waitlists are monitored regularly. You will be contacted if a space opens up.
HW Summer understands that many parents need full-day programming. We are excited to offer Afternoon Camp to help. Afternoon Camp is a very casual program providing a safe place to hangout until 5:30 PM. We will show movies, play games, and offer other activities. Look for these sessions in the Coldwater Prep Other Programs section of our website and registration system.
NOTE: HW Summer is only able to offer this program on our UPPER SCHOOL CAMPUS. If your child attends a program on any other campus, they will need to be picked up at the end of their class/camp.
Harvard-Westlake Summer closes in observance of Juneteenth and Independence Day. Juneteenth is observed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, and Independence Day is observed on Friday, July 4, 2025.
Many in-person classes and programs include lunch. Lunch is included in tuition. Lunch will be served from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM only. Students can choose a regular lunch, vegan lunch, or gluten free lunch. Students choose one lunch type (regular, vegan, or gluten free) during the registration process. If your child requires a different lunch option or if your child has food allergies, your child may bring lunch each day. Students who wish to change their lunch type must inform the summer office at least one week before beginning their program. Lunch is offered to any three hour or longer program that spans the lunch hour as well as the second period classes.
Lunch is only offered in programs on the Upper School campus (Coldwater Canyon) and the Middle School campus (North Faring Road). Programs at other locations do not offer lunch.
If lunch is not included in your child's registration and you would like your child to have lunch, please contact our office directly.
Drop off and pickup procedures will be emailed to you approximately one week before each class begins. On the first day, be sure to arrive early. Follow the signs and directions by our staff when you arrive.
Each Friday on the Upper School campus and the Middle School campus, lunch will be extended, and the pools will be opened for anyone who wishes to swim. There will be a lifeguard on duty. This is an opportunity for recreational swimming; no swimming lessons will be offered during this period. If your child does not want to swim, the pool deck will open for relaxing, and there will be opportunities to play on the field or relax in the lunch area.
During the summer program, Harvard-Westlake does not offer bus service. For parents who need transportation services, you may contact Hop, Skip, Drive. Hop, Skip, Drive is a separate, non-affiliated, unendorsed company from Harvard-Westlake Summer, and it provides transportation services for children.
Please note that the libraries and bookstores on both campuses will be closed for the entire summer unless specified in the particular program.
The grade level for each course is the grade the student will enter in Fall 2025.
Each year, Harvard-Westlake Summer welcomes students from all over the world. If you are an international student and want to attend, please know that we encourage your participation in all our programs. You must be able to secure any required visas or travel documents on your own. Also, please be aware that our classes are taught only in English and your English skills must be at the advanced or college prep level.
If you need a receipt with our tax ID number for a summer registration, please login to your campbrain account. You are able to access an account statement with our tax ID number.
Please contact the Harvard-Westlake Summer Office: +1(818)487-6527 or summer@hw.com.