Chelsea Center

It's hard to believe, but summer will be here soon, and right now is prime-time for helping students map out summer goals. It is a great season to encourage them to expand comfort zones by exploring the unknown, and also to make time to deepen their knowledge about something they love.

Summer school through the Chelsea Center is part of the WGHS summer school program, but has a different operations model. We offer our standard internship, independent service learning, passion pursuit, and travel credit courses. Additionally, the Chelsea Center offers the opportunity for students to pair attendance at a chosen regional summer experience with goal setting, engagement with three assignments, and reflection. Together, the experience and the reflective coursework create the eligibility for WGHS academic elective credit to be earned. In many cases the Chelsea Center can sponsor the cost of the experience.

We maintain the GivePulse database of opportunities to help students stretch their wings, follow their passions, and build skills. Last week, all students grades 9-11 participated in an Advisory session wherein we explained the Chelsea Center summer school procedure and demonstrated the use of that database to find summer opportunities. Because GivePulse is designed for student use via their school Google credentials, we’re listing a representative sample of various opportunities below for easy parent access. Students can view all details through GivePulse.

The general process for Chelsea Center summer school registration is:

1. Student registers interest in the chosen experience on GivePulse (see us if assistance is needed)

2. Student comes to the Chelsea Center to receive our paper summer registration packet

3. Student takes the packet home, then returns it with parent/guardian signatures

This process for requesting coordination and funding for a regional experience must be completed no later than March 25, 2026. Arrangements for Chelsea Center standard internship, independent service learning, passion pursuit, and travel credit courses must be finalized no later than May 1.

Building & Fixing Path: Industrial and Engineering Technology

• Saint Louis University Aviation Academy

• Saint Louis University Engineering Camp

• Saint University Stem Immersion Experience

• Heavy Metal Summer Experience (Skilled Trades)

• Geospatial Science Camp at UMSL

Business Path: Business, Management, and Technology

• Kode with Klossy Computer Coding & Data Technology

• Maryville Biz Camp

• Maryville Cybersecurity Summer Institute

• Maryville Rawlings Sports Business Management Institute

• Saint Louis University Entrepreneurship Academy

Creative Path: Arts & Communication

• Contemporary Art Museum Teen Museum Studies

• Mizzou Journalism School Workshops

• Journalism Workshop

• Advertising & Public Relations Strategic Communications

• Mizzou Music Composition Institute

• Saint Louis University Grand Theatre Experience

• St. Louis Art Museum Teen Museum Assistant

• St. Louis County Library Teen Internship

• Webster Arts Fair Volunteer

• Webster University Animation Experience

• Webster University Film Production Experience

• Webster University Game Design Experience

• Webster University Illustration Arts Experience

• Webster University Journalism Workshop

• Webster University Sound Recording Experience

Health Path: Health Services

• BESt Healthcare Institute

• Maryville Health Professions Summer Institute

• Mercy Hospital Teens Learning in the Community (TLC) program

• Mizzou Advanced Veterinary Academy

• Mizzou Mini Med

• Saint Louis University Adventures in Medicine and Science (AIMS)

• Saint Louis University Doisy College of Health Sciences Health Care Exploration

• Saint Louis University School of Medicine Summer Scholars

• St. Luke's Summer Student Volunteer Program

• University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis Healthcare Immersion

• Washington University Young Scientist Program

• Webster University Health Data Explorers Experience

• Webster University Phage Research Experience

• Webster University Psychology Experience

Helping Path: Human Services

• Freedom School Volunteer

• Future Teacher Leadership Academy at UMSL

• Missouri Boys State

• Missouri Girls State

• Missouri History Museum St. Louis Changemakers

• Missouri History Museum Teen Historian Apprenticeship

• Missouri State #Bears Teach!

• Missouri Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities

• Mizzou Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy

• Rock Hill Day Camp Volunteer

• Saint Louis University Gardens to Table Culinary Experience

• Saint Louis University Law & Advocacy Experience

Nature Path: Natural Resources

• Canopy Crew Internship with Missouri ReLeaf

• Missouri Botanical Garden SIFT Field Sciences Research Program

• Missouri Botanical Garden SAGE Service Program

• Missouri Botanical Garden Mantis Service at the Butterfly House

• Missouri Botanical Garden Outdoor Youth Corps

• Mizzou Life Sciences Quest Agriculture Experience

• Saint Louis University Earth, Wind & Water Meteorology Experience

• Zoo Alive

• Zoo Teens Summer Program

Summer opportunities listed on GivePulse are open to all WGHS students who meet the requirements of the experience. Some experiences are fee-based registrations and fill quickly. Others require a selective application process controlled by the institution, not Team Chelsea. Students and families may register for these events independently of the Chelsea Center. However, if students want to earn credit and potentially receive funding, registrations and applications must be coordinated with the Chelsea Center.

You may apply to receive funding to cover the cost of both fee-based and selective experiences, so please see us in the Chelsea Center PRIOR to making any deposit. Receiving Chelsea Center funding for your experience has two requirements:

1. Make no payments or deposits prior to speaking with Team Chelsea. We cannot (by law) provide complementary coursework enrollment with WGHS elective credit and/or scholarship payment once any kind of payment is made by a student or family.

2. Simultaneous enrollment in a Chelsea Center Passion Pursuit course that wraps goal setting and reflection work around the desired experience.

The price maximum is $850, and students are responsible for their own transportation and incidental expenses not included in the tuition.

To apply, students should register on GivePulse then come visit the Chelsea Center to pick up a summer experience registration packet. We ask that students indicate their interest in summer programming and request funding by March 25. Please email Dr. Kerry Arens at arens.kerry@wgmail.com with further questions.

Reminder: We can help students who are pursuing their A+ hours find connections to service learning that include the mentorship or job shadowing components the A+ program requires. Have your students stop by to talk with us, or independently explore their GivePulse account opportunity listings by using their school google email credentials at wgsd.givepulse.com.

For more information please contact Dr. Kerry Arens, Coordinator of the Chelsea Center

Email: arens.kerry@wgmail.org
Website: https://hs.webster.k12.mo.us/programs/chelsea-center
Location: Webster Groves High School, Room 200
Phone: (314) 918-4181