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One-day app design “Hackathon” at UWG
The University of West Georgia is planning a “Hackathon” event where middle- and high-school students will conceptualize and design software to solve a problem. The program will be held on Saturday, March 11, 2023, on UWG’s main Carrollton campus.
The Hackathon program’s youth track is open to students aged 13 to 18. The youth track program does not require any programming or coding knowledge. Mentors will help the students with the technical aspects of their designs. (A separate advanced track for high-school and college students 18 and up does require basic programming skills.)
Students will work in teams. They can sign up with people they already know and want to work with, or find a team onsite.
Registration is $30, plus a $3 processing fee. If a family is unable to pay the fee, UWG will attempt to make arrangements for the registration. See the “How much does it cost to participate” area of the page linked above for contact information for financial assistance.
Emory Math Circle registering for spring 2023
The Math Circle program at Emory University is now registering for its spring 2023 classes.
Math Circle is an enrichment program for middle-school and high-school kids who are fascinated by mathematics and who want to explore math topics beyond what’s taught in the typical classroom. Classes meet twice a month on Saturdays. In-person classes will begin this Saturday, January 28. Note that it is possible to join a class after it has begun meeting; registration will remain open until February 17.
Classes will be offered both in person and online.
You can get more information and register at the Math Circle website.
Any students attending an in-person section must show proof of vaccination (including a booster shot). Masks are optional, in accordance with Emory University policy.
Emory Math Circle is free, but donations from families that can give them are appreciated.
Georgia Tech February workshops for grades 2-12
Registration is open for K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop sessions being held Saturday, February 18 at Georgia Tech.
K.I.D.S. Club is open to students in grades 2 through 5. Topics for 2nd and 3rd graders this session are flight mechanics, “TinkerLab” and rollercoasters. For students in grades 4 and 5, there are two tracks to choose from. One track will design a chair and learn about electrical engineering; the other will study application design and health science. (Important note: Application design is a two-part course. Part two will be held on March 11.)
STEAM Workshops are for students in grades 6 through 12. For grades 6 to 8, track one will learn about robotics and chemical engineering; track two will spend the full three hours learning about gardening in the time of climate change; track three will spend three hours on LEGO Robotics. Grades 9 through 12 will design a robotic car using Micro:bit.
Cost to attend is $65 per student. Need-based scholarships, funded by the Georgia Department of Education, are available. Visit the CEISMC BOOST Scholarship page to learn more about scholarship eligibility and submit an application.
UPDATE: SAT and ACT testing for 7th graders restored
In April 2022, in a post about new talent search programs, I wrote that the SAT and ACT were no longer available to students in 7th grade. Taking these above-grade exams can be useful for highly advanced students, and sometimes test scores are requested by summer programs or other selective programs.
I can happily report that, after a lawsuit, both the ACT and the College Board (administrators of the SAT) are again allowing students under age 13 to take their exams on regular Saturday test dates.
A scholarship that pays high-school tuition
Applications are now open for the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship, a merit-based, need-blind scholarship that pays high-school tuition for outstanding students.
Students apply when they are in seventh grade, which means the application is now open for students in the high school graduating class of 2028.
Selections are announced when the students begin eighth grade. During the eighth-grade year, the selected scholars will research and apply to schools that will best suit them, with support from the scholarship team.
Established in 2002, the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship can be used for private schools, boarding schools, parochial schools, homeschool hybrids, early college, and other types of schools. Students who currently attend a private school that continues beyond eighth grade may apply; however, the scholarship administrators will ask that they research and consider other high-school options.
You can learn more about the scholarship and the application process by attending an online webinar on February 6 or March 13. See the scholarship’s How to Apply page for details.
Applications are due on April 17, 2023. The application requires letters of recommendation and essays, so it’s best to get an early start.
Parenting group for adults raising gifted children
Along with their intellectual abilities and academic advancement, gifted children often have particular social and emotional characteristics, such as perfectionism, idealism and intensity.
SENG parent groups provide a support network for parents and caregivers of gifted and twice-exceptional children, where they can discuss and explore their children’s development. (SENG stands for Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted.)
A new SENG group is launching in the Atlanta area in February. The eight-week program will be led by licensed social worker Dr. Deborah Lathrop and Laura Neher, a former aerospace engineer who is now a master’s student at UGA, studying gifted education.
The SENG group will meet on Wednesday evenings in Sandy Springs, beginning February 8, 2023. A registration fee of $150 covers enrollment for one or two caregivers.
Gifted Atlanta 