Southern Preparatory Academy Report: Summer at The Southern

June is upon us... time to plan a productive summer for our youth. Southern Preparatory Academy is opening their 320-acre campus for two parallel summer offerings, an Academic Mini-Mester and 'Summers at Southern' Camps, each shepherded by Col. Corey Ramsby and his faculty to make June and July rewarding for attendees. SoPrep remains one of a dozen remaining prep schools in the nation with a Corps of Cadets (military) program, located at Camp Hill just off US Hwy 280 in East Central Alabama. If you have a child or grandchild who could use a few summer weeks among the company of well-disciplined young ladies and gentlemen, in a beautiful Alabama setting, now's the time to (re)explore what The Southern is offering this June and July.

The Academic Mini-Mester runs June 1 through July 17, 2026, open to students entering grades 9 through 12 in the Fall. Honors credit courses, credit recovery and ACT preparation are offered via flexible pathways combining morning and afternoon 'in-person' classes with online options. Both boarding and day enrollment are available. For motivated young learners looking to gain a credit, repair one, or simply enter the next academic year ahead of schedule, the Mini-Mester is a serious academic stretch implemented by faculty familiar with teaching top students in this setting.

'Summers at Southern' Camps run parallel as co-ed boarding and day camps for younger participants, designed to inspire, challenge and engage. The 320-acre campus is well suited to the purpose, with two fishing ponds, an indoor swimming pool, a dining hall, air-conditioned dorms, indoor/outdoor rifle ranges, football/baseball fields and two gymnasiums. Themed camps rotate around varied interests and skills. Families seeking an Alabama summer promoting fresh air, mentorship and structured days rather than more weeks indoors with a screen, will find SoPrep's campus perfect for the endeavour.

President Ramsby's successful efforts transforming SoPrep's return to founding principles are visible in these summer offerings as much as in the school year. A proud alumnus now serving on the Board coined the phrase, "no longer a place of detention; now a school of retention," and the summer programs reflect that same Spirit. Families who visit in June and July often return as applicants in August. The current 98% retention rate and 100+ applications already in hand for the 2026-27 cohort indicate the welcome Southern's summer visitors are receiving. SoPrep's 'Winter at Valley Forge' is slowly thawing toward a bright future.

Noteworthy early history 'grounds' the summer programs in the Academy's roots. George Washington Carver corresponded with Lyman Ward in the 1930s on soil health, livestock, and farming practices for Alabama growers, sharing his Tuskegee research with Ward at what was then an Agriculture and Industry School. Booker T. Washington explicitly advocated industrial and agricultural training as a path out of poverty for the South's black population; Lyman Ward similarly championed that path for whites in our region, p. 43 of Jerri Beck's Their Country's Pride on the Academy's Centennial. Summer at Camp Hill, with its ponds and fields and well planned hours offer further evidence of SoPrep's return to their founding vision.

My years teaching ROTC students at Auburn U illustrated how often a single summer of structured company shapes a young person who was otherwise lost and rudderless. Some of those students went on to noble service, some to profitable civilian careers and many returned with stories of how caring discipline pressed them to be ready for the world awaiting them was greatly appreciated. The Southern's summer programs offer that same possibility to a new cohort of Alabama youth, with the added benefit of the Academy's setting and faculty already in place around them.

Registration and details are handled through the Academy directly at 174 Ward Circle, Camp Hill, Alabama 36850. Phone 256-790-9202. Email admissions@southernprepacademy.org. The summer landing page is at southernprepacademy.org/summer-programs. Tell a friend with a grandchild who could benefit. Tell a colleague whose son is ready for honors credit. Tell anyone curious about The Southern who has not yet seen the campus or it has been awhile, because a summer week on the grounds is often the visit that positively changes a youngin's course. Alabama Gazette readers include many who venerate our veterans and military history, filled with honour and sacrifice as we celebrate Memorial Day this 250th Anniversary of Declaring Independence from British hegemony. Southern Preparatory Academy is a way to support future generations by donating money, time, and even getting children and grandchildren to consider attending SoPrep, beginning with a summer week at Camp Hill. Deo volente, this summer will help finish filling the ranks for the academic year to come.

Come see what evolving toward 'a more perfect prep school' looks like. SoPrep JROTC earned the "Gold Star" (Honor Unit of Distinction) following their most recent cadet inspection. The Ranger Battalion JROTC earned 96% grade. In my 30 years of teaching, where I didn't inflate grades and couldn't comprehend over 4.0 GPAs, this is a solid A headed to an A+. Only 10% of programs nationwide achieve this honor.

It was rewarding feedback to have some readers appreciate the SoPrep Report on the Ranger Battalion's JPA Evaluation. Yet another Honor Unit of Distinction / Gold Star! Sometimes referred to as Exceptional, it confirms SoPrep's JROTC program is operating at a high standard of excellence with exemplary cadet performance. Units earning this score enjoy the right to wear a gold star and confers upon the SoPrep Academy President [Col. Ramsby] direct nominating authority to all three service academies in the nation.

In closing, the 'plowshares into swords and vice versa' framing Alumnus Maj. Bill Roughton has stressed these past years is becoming reality. To support SoPrep, please visit https://southernprepacademy.org/giving-funds/ in the Spirit of '76 as we celebrate the nation's 250th Anniversary.