This page lists some details on possible social options you may wish to explore in the evenings. While these are all optional and not part of the official summer school program, they are designed to help you explore the area and build connection with other attendees by giving you some ideas to start with.

Sunday, June 9th – Board Games at The Board and Brew

On Sunday as folks are traveling and checking in feel free to get settled and explore the area on your own. However, if you would like to meet other students, we will be hanging out at The Board and Brew which is a Board Game Cafe near the hotel with over 750 Board Game titles, along with food and drinks. We will plan to be there from around 5-8 pm. If interested in learning some new board games or meeting new people, come on by, otherwise we’ll see you Monday AM.

Monday, June 10th – Poster Session and Ice Cream Networking Reception

Monday afternoon we will have a Poster Session and Networking Reception where you can learn more about other attendees. The instructions for the Poster Session are located on its designated page. We will have Ice Cream hosted by the Maryland Dairy, UMD’s on campus creamery.

Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11-12 – Exploring the College Park Region

On Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons we will begin tackling some of the challenge problems for the week, and we expect that some folks may wish to use the evenings to reflect on or revisit the material, or hack away on the challenge problems. However, there are also some interesting things to do in and around the area, so below we list some starting options of activities folks may wish to do if you want to explore more of the surrounding College Park or DC area, depending on your interests. These are optional activities that you can do on your own or in small groups.

• Lake Artemisia: This nearby lake is a nice option if folks want a short walk through nature nearby campus. The lake is home to the Luther Goldman Birding Trail and connects to the nearby trail system.
• Checking out DC: Via the College Park 104 Shuttle you can reach the Green and Yellow lines which provide access to anywhere in the DC-MD-VA metro area. The nearest shuttle stop to the hotel is the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel stop, or you can take the 83 or 17 WMATA bus from across the street from the hotel to get This is a good option if you wish to sample some of the international cuisine of DC or do other explorations in the nation’s capital.
• Hyattsville Arts District and DIY Brewery Tour: The Hyattsville Arts District has a variety of unique walkable shops, restaurants, and breweries that can form the basis of your own DIY mini-brewery tour. To get there take metrobus 83 or 17 down and back along Route 1/Baltimore Avenue with several departure times around 6pm and return times at either 8:30 or 9:30pm. You can view the real-time ETAs or maps for the 83 bus or 17 bus. Once there, you can visit a couple of these nearby eateries or breweries that are all walking distance from each other (<10 mins):
  • Busboys and Poets: This is a unique bookstore and restaurant named after the famed poet Langston Hughes and is a nice spot to hang out, check out some neat books, and grab some food or drinks.
  • Franklins Brewery: This is a restaurant and brewery with a neat little “General Store” that sells all kinds of neat curios. They have a fun outdoor “Quarantiki” setup with an outdoor bar and sand features.
  • Streetcar 82: This is a local brewery with a large selection of in-house brewed beers.
  • Maryland Meadworks: This is a local meadery which offers tasting flights and is down the street from the rest of the arts district. It has fairly limited operating hours (Thursday through Sunday afternoons/evenings), but is another option if you are around this area after the summer school.
  • Sangfroid Distilling: This small batch distillery specializes in fruit brandies, dutch-style gins, and rye whiskies using local ingredients. It has fairly limited operating hours (Friday and Saturday afternoons), but is another option if you are around this area after the summer school.
  • Denizen’s Brewing Co.: This is not walking distance from Hyattsville, but is on the way down/back along route one and is serviced by Route 17.
• The Washington Nationals Baseball team has home games on Tuesday and Wednesday, is easily accessible via the Metro line, and has reasonably priced tickets for those interested in catching a ball game with folks you meet at the summer school.
• For those who were not available on Sunday, the Board and Brew is a great place near the hotel hang out and learn/play board games if you just want a relaxed evening nearby.

Thursday, June 13th – Afternoon exploration of Washington DC

On Thursday morning we will largely be working on the Challenge Problems, applying the techniques learned on Monday-Wednesday. In the afternoon, you can either continue to work on the Challenge Problems, or, we have set aside the afternoon for you and others to explore Washington DC. We recommend taking the 104 Shuttle to the Metro and then heading downtown on the Green line to either L’Enfant Plaza or the Archives stop, which will put you close by to the National Mall to see things like the major monuments, or visit any one or more of the free Smithsonian Museums.

Friday, June 14th – Adjorn

Friday we will have our final presentations/reception on campus in the afternoon and the official program ends at 5 pm. I encourage those of you who are still around to coordinate separately for the evening and to continue exploring nearby or celebrating your efforts from the week.

Using the WMATA MetroRail or MetroBus system

Public transit in the Washington DC area largely uses the SmarTrip Metro Card system that is valid on both the metrorail and metrobus system. To use this system you can either use your phone (if it has NFC) or via a physical SmarTrip card, which you can purchase a metrocard machines at metro stations or in certain businesses like CVS or Giant. You can see the WMATA New Riders guide here.

EScooters and Bikesharing

If you prefer to explore on your own, then there are nearby options at UMD for local EScooter rides via Veo or, further from campus if downtown or in other areas like Hyattsville you can find Capital Bikeshare stations which has both bicycles and e-bikes.