SynaVoice SOL begins second week of sold-out virtual camp Unique topics for high school students

SynaVoice LLC (SynaVoice) officially launched SynaVoice SOL, (summer online), a pop-up, virtual summer camp for high school students last week. Conceived as an alternative to in-person, academic programs that were cancelled due to Covid-19-related closures, SynaVoice SOL provides exposure to new ideas, concepts and skills for high school students that inform their college, career, and life choices. After the murder of George Floyd, SynaVoice moved to create a more inclusive environment by identifying scholarship candidates from partner schools and revising the general pricing structure to a “pay what you can” model, to remove the barriers to entry for all students.



SynaVoice SOL features nationally-recognized experts with a wide variety of expertise that engage campers and capture their imagination, staying true to our mission to provide exposure to new ideas and deliver creative, innovative, educational content. Each week, a different focus is offered, and virtual high school campers can choose to attend one or multiple weeks. In the first weekly session, Powerful Presence: Public Speaking & Presenting, campers representing eight high schools from Virginia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Texas, and Florida enjoyed daily presentations from Sherhara Downing, a master trainer and speaking coach for multinational corporations. For the second session, 24 campers from over 20 different high schools in Virginia, Michigan, and Florida enrolled for Lights, Camera, Action: Acting for the Camera. Suzanne Regan and Joe Stearns, both actors and talent agents, share what it takes to act for the camera.





Spirit fingers during our first week of camp.



“Our one-week sessions are designed to provide a taste of an interesting subject so high schoolers can determine for themselves if they want to delve deeper into the subject matter outside of camp. Sharing this experience with a diverse group enables conversations of mutual interest, fosters meaningful relationships, and chips away at the opportunity gap for the campers who would not ordinarily be exposed to this type of enrichment program.”, said Julie Rothhouse, SynaVoice SOL founder.



SynaVoice SOL sessions are held on the Zoom platform for two hours a day. College students from Brown University, New York University, and Wake Forest, facilitate the activities and discussions in the breakout room ‘cabins’.



All sessions provide a fun take on an interesting topic or skill. The True Crime session keys off the passion that some kids have for true crime stories and tv shows. Dr. James Diamond, a professor and criminal lawyer, provides an overview of criminal law and highlights some of the cases he worked on. The Art of Graphic Narratives, led by award-winning graphic novelist and New Yorker cartoonist, Amy Kurzweil, shows campers how to combine personal narratives and illustration. Calling All Cars, led by two of the foremost automotive experts in the trade show world, Matt Troyer and Ken Smith, discusses complex automotive technology and design in an entertaining and understandable way. Curt Doty, award-winning marketer and international lecturer, shows campers how signs and symbols have influenced communication throughout history and leads the campers in the design of their own logos in The Influence of Design.





The Art of Graphic Narratives is scheduled for the week of July 20, with Amy Kurzweil.



About SynaVoice SOL



SynaVoice LLC is a woman-owned consultancy providing strategic communications, training, customer outreach, market research and insights to both federal and corporate clients. Productions Plus – The Talent Shop is a woman-owned, national talent and event staffing agency providing some of the world's best-known brands with full-service talent management in auto, event marketing, product demo and film/TV/voiceover. SynaVoice and Productions Plus partnered to develop and launch SynaVoice SOL, offering unique learning experiences to a diverse group of high school students to expand their horizons and inform their college, career, and life choices. To register, visit www.SynaVoiceSOL.com. To donate, visit www.givebutter.com/SOLsponsor.



Structured like a camp, but indoors and therefore, way cooler.