Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Connect economic theory to markets and policy in this 2-week program for high school students on Georgetown University’s campus.
Rated 4.3 out of 5 for classroom experience by students who took this course in 2026.
Course Description
Why do prices rise, recessions spread, or markets react to unexpected news? Students use those questions to build an introduction to economic thinking and the U.S. economy. They examine supply and demand, inflation, market fluctuations, and the choices consumers and businesses make when resources and information are limited.
The course connects microeconomics with larger institutions and policy. Students consider how stock markets, consumer behavior, and different economic systems affect growth and opportunity. They also study how government and central institutions respond to changing conditions, weighing the intended effects and possible tradeoffs of policy choices.
Global interdependence adds another layer. Discussions and activities explore trade, international finance, jobs, resources, and the way external shocks can travel across borders. Students practice applying concepts to current and historical examples, explaining not only what changed but also which incentives, institutions, and relationships help account for the outcome. Discussion, practice, and feedback help students check their reasoning and improve how they communicate the work.
This two-week course takes place at Georgetown University. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic work with campus life, growing independence, and clearer direction about what students may want to study or pursue next. The program is developed by Georgetown University and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
What Will You Do?
• Model how supply and demand affect prices and market behavior
• Compare economic systems and the incentives they create
• Examine inflation, recession, and consumer responses
• Analyze government policy tools and their possible tradeoffs
• Trace how trade and finance connect national economies
• Apply economic concepts to an external shock or market change
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Explain core economic concepts using relevant real-world examples
• Analyze how policy, institutions, and consumer behavior influence markets
• Evaluate an economic development by identifying incentives, tradeoffs, and global connections
Students leave with applied economic analyses and a clearer framework for interpreting markets, policy, and global change.
Why Economics Skills Matter
Economics gives students a structured way to analyze choices and consequences. Supply, demand, incentives, and tradeoffs help explain everyday prices, business decisions, and public policy. Macroeconomic concepts such as inflation and recession show why individual choices also depend on larger systems.
Economic reasoning is especially useful when claims compete. Students learn to identify assumptions, distinguish correlation from explanation, and consider who benefits, who bears costs, and what may happen next. These habits strengthen quantitative literacy, policy analysis, and informed participation in civic and financial decisions.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are curious about prices, markets, government policy, business decisions, or global events. It fits interests in economics, finance, politics, international relations, data, or public policy.
Participants should be ready to discuss competing explanations, work with basic economic relationships, and connect concepts to current and historical examples. Students who enjoy asking why outcomes change and considering tradeoffs will be well matched.
Recommended by More Than 4 out of 5 Students
Based on students surveyed in 2026 about Summer Discovery High School programs at Georgetown University campus.
Why Georgetown University?
Studying on Georgetown University’s campus gives high-school students the opportunity to explore an academic interest while experiencing campus life in Washington, D.C. Its historic campus and surrounding neighborhood sit near embassies, institutions, and organizations that shape national and international conversations, giving the summer a distinctive sense of place.
Students learn alongside peers with similar interests, navigate a new environment, and gain independence through everyday choices and responsibilities. Time outside class helps students experience the broader rhythm of university life while considering what subjects, communities, and possible directions feel right for them. For families, the program offers a combination of substantive academic exploration, personal growth, and clearer insight into what a student may want to study or pursue next.
Summer Discovery Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive