Mezzo Academy
The Mezzo Academy provides events, family activities, and academic support for students in grades 6-8.
All activities are currently being held in-person. All events and activities held on the Beloit College campus will require a mask.
The Mezzo Academy, designed for students in grades 6-8, provides once-a-week Academic & Curricular Enhancement (ACE) session, weekly educational workshops, family activities, and overall academic support. Students can also apply for a two-week summer academic enrichment program.
Mezzo participants form the foundation of the Help Yourself Programs. Their energy, enthusiasm, respect, and sense of exploration are inspirational to student staff and Pre-Collegiate participants. An emphasis on experiential learning and holistic enrichment typifies Mezzo programming.
Academic Year Program
During the academic year, Mezzo Academy students can take advantage of a once-a-week ACE session, weekly educational workshops, and monthly workshops to help in college preparations.
Academic & Curricular Enhancement (ACE)
ACE occurs during the academic year on Mondays at Cunningham Intermediate School, Tuesdays at Aldrich Intermediate School and McNeel Intermediate School, and Wednesdays at Fruzen Intermediate School from 3:45-4:45 PM. College students and Help Yourself staff will be available to assist you in any subject area.
In addition to bettering their understanding of core subject areas, students who attend ACE will be able to increase their skills in such areas as writing, critical analysis, time management, study skills, and organization.
Thursday Workshops
Nearly every Thursday, there will be educational workshops for students to attend. These workshops will be led by Beloit College students and held on the Beloit College campus. Students will be bussed from their school to the Beloit College campus. Parents are responsible for picking their children up after the workshops.
The Thursday workshops are centered around three general rules of conduct: respect, participation, and positivity/openmindedness.
Students will participate in a variety of different workshops throughout the semester. Some examples of past Thursday workshops include a Beloit International Film Festival workshop, a yoga and hip-hop dance workshop, a geology workshop, and an improv workshop.
Monthly Workshops
Saturday workshops will be offered several times throughout the year for you and your family to help in preparations for college.
The same rules of conduct apply for the Saturday workshops as for the Thursday workshops.
Examples of past workshops include a science workshop, the HYP Olympics, an Education workshop, and the Multicultural Fun Fair.
Summer Program
Mezzo Academy students will have the opportunity to participate in a two-week summer program, held on the Beloit College campus. This program, designed for students entering grades 6th-8th, provides students the opportunity for enrichment in math, science, language arts, social studies, and the arts - with classroom and experiential learning opportunities ranging from outdoor activities to field trips. The primary objective of the program is to deepen student interest and understanding of how to pursue college and a career that requires a college degree, while at the same time providing students with positive learning environments to develop social and academic skills. The program is facilitated by three full-time staff members, 4-6 college student teaching assistants, and 3-4 teachers.
Summer Program applications are accepted beginning April 1, 2023, and are due by Friday, April 28, 2023. If you are new to Help Yourself, you can request an application by clicking “APPLY” on the left side of this page. Summer applications for newcomers will be due by May 26, 2023!
The 2023 Mezzo Academy Summer Program will tentatively run from July 31 - August 11, 2023.