Benjamin Franklin Summer Institute is an intensive summer academic program for teenagers aged 16-18. The program is hosted by an American college or university. European and American teenagers spend four weeks on its campus together.
The subject matter of the program is very broad and concerns the global problems of the contemporary world. The program organizers emphasize the development of leadership and debate skills combined with conscious use of modern technologies and media.
The program aims to strengthen transatlantic relations by building relationships between young people. In Poland, participation in it is restricted to the winners of the nationwide competition “Know America,” organized by the Rural Development Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy.