There are three age groups served in Summer Accelerator:

• Early Accelerator is for rising 5th-6th grade and consists of weeklong day camps 
• Accelerator for rising 7th-9th graders is a weeklong residential or two-week online program
• Accelerator for rising 10th-12th graders is either fully online or a residential program that includes 2 weeks of asynchronous online work (plus one-week synchronous online work for fully online option)

All interested instructors need to submit a completed Course Proposal in order to be considered. We will include past enrollment, market research, and feedback from students and parents in our analysis of submitted proposals.

If no proposals are developed in high-needs strands, such as biomedical, engineering, fabrication, and coding, summer programs staff may recruit additional instructors.

Course Proposals are closed for Summer 2026 at this time.

If you have any questions, please contact the Summer Programs team at summer@ncssm.edu.

---

Qualifications and Expectations

• The instructor has experience teaching the subject matter and age level for the course proposed.
• The instructor is willing to be flexible in planning and teaching for an evolving summer program. 
• The instructor has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Upon acceptance, the instructor will attend at least one Accelerator workshop/training to learn more about the program and prepare for the summer.
• The instructor will help promote their course by sending emails and announcements to listservs and by sharing ideas about potential marketing opportunities for the course.
• The proposal includes at least one field trip, invited guest, major activity/lab, or out-of-the-classroom experience.
• Face-to-face activities, assignments, goals, and outcomes are clearly laid out well in the proposal.
• The proposed course values hands-on experience.
• All activities and concepts are age appropriate.
• The instructor adequately anticipates the materials needed.
• The instructor submits a detailed budget and list of resources needed with their proposal and agrees to discuss any expected changes with us as soon as they are known and works with the program assistant to borrow and/or order these items in advance of the program and is responsible for ensuring you have the items you need at least three weeks before your course. 
• The instructor will submit a grade (pass/fail), a course summary, and feedback on individual students and the program as a whole within two weeks of the end of the course.

---

Structure and Pay

Please contact Summer Programs at summer@ncssm.edu if you have any questions. 

Early Accelerator on Campus (Rising 5th & 6th graders)

• Class time will run from 9:00 – 3:30 M-F, with the instructor scheduling breaks during the day. 
• Instructors for Early Accelerator will be paid $1,400. 

Residential 

Summer Accelerator Residential (Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders)

• Courses will consist of two weeks of online work prior to one week of residential work. Participants will be expected to complete 10 – 15 hours of online work in advance of their arrival on campus; the residential portion of the program is the culminating experience.
• Students receive a certificate of completion and course summary detailing their accomplishments during the week, including a pass or fail grade. 
• This course will appear as a course on the transcript for NCSSM Online students.
• Instructors for Accelerator Residential (Rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders) will be paid $2,100.  

Summer Accelerator Residential (Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders)

• Courses consist of one week in residence at NCSSM.
• There is no online portion to complete. Students receive a certificate of completion.
• Instructors for Accelerator Residential (Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders) will be paid $1,575.

Online

Accelerator Online (Rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders)

• Courses will consist of three weeks of online work. Participants will be expected to complete about 15 hours of asynchronous online work over the first two weeks (7-8 hours per week). The third and final week of the program has synchronous class meetings and a more intensive schedule, with about 20 hours of work during the week.
• Students receive a certificate of completion.
• This course will appear as a course on the transcript for NCSSM Online students.
• Instructors for Accelerator Online (Rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders) will be paid $2,100.

Accelerator Online (Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders)

• Courses consist of two weeks of online work, a blend of synchronous and asynchronous learning with about 10 hours of work per week.
• Students receive a certificate of completion.
• Instructors for Accelerator Online (Rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders) will be paid $1,750.