History of HSI

The Summer High School Institute is an attitude - a state of mind.
It is the excitement of learning - learning in its fullest sense.
It is creative, energetic, difficult, and challenging.
It is exhilaration - it is fun!

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HSI Traditions

Rockies Games

For many years HSI scholars would attend a Rockies baseball game in Denver. Students were able to explore downtown Denver, many for the first time, and get a taste for what life was like outside of their small home towns.

White-Water Rafting

In recent years, scholars have been able to go white-water rafting instead of to a baseball game. For some this is a their first time while others have gone before. It is always a highlight for scholars during their camp experience.

Volunteering

One constant tradition for HSI is volunteering in the Laramie community. We have volunteered in a variety of places throughout the year. Our hope is to show scholars another side of Laramie and also give back to our home community. Volunteering has given scholars a variety of experiences and showcases the different needs in the community.

College-like Courses

Scholars take two college-like classes which offer them a glimpse into what a college course might look like. Through exploring STEM and Humanities topics, students can see the possibilities within a wide variety of fields. These courses are taught by some of the best faculty on UW and have a focus on interactive activities and field trips.

Dorm Life

During the 20 days, scholars get to live in the dorms with a randomly assigned roommate. This gives them a taste of what college life will be like living with someone other than family members. In the past, students were truly randomly assigned, but now we ask a few questions to help with placements.

HSI Cup

The HSI Cup is a fun competition between the different HSI teams. There are four different events featured in the cup: team representation, a dodgeball tournament, a lip-sync battle, and a series of Minute-to-Win-It games. Whichever team wins the cup leaves their mark Gnomeo.

History Overview

UW Summer High School (HSI) is a long held tradition in the state of Wyoming. Since 1985, we have welcomed scholars from across the state to the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie for 20 days to give them a taste of what college life can be life. Scholars take college-like courses taught by some of the best faculty members at UW and live in one of the dorms on campus, currently Downey Hall. We also show scholars around Laramie and portions of Colorado.

Historically, schools were able to nominate students, but in recent years we have shifted to letting students themselves choose to apply. The students who attend HSI are high achieving high school sophomores.

Check out the video to learn more about our 40+ year history.