Archive
Summer programs, already?
It’s not even the end of the year, and I’m already getting emails from summer camps for the 2023 season. It feels early to be thinking about summer, but for many programs, registration will open in January, so it isn’t too soon to explore what’s out there and prepare to apply to highly sought after programs.
I’ve just updated the Summer Programs page on the website, to make sure all the links are working and all the programs I’ve listed are still operating. I hope you’ll find this helpful in your search for a summer program your child will love.
If you know of a program that would be a good addition to my list, or if you find any errors in the list, please reach out through the Contact page. Thanks.
Georgia Tech invites high-school students to enter statistics competition
Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial and Systems Engineering is holding a probability and statistics competition for high-school students. Prizes will include formal recognition and scholarships to Georgia Tech’s Mission Possible Camp.
To qualify, students must have completed AP Statistics.
The first round of the competition will be held online on December 9, 2022. The registration deadline is December 1.
For those who advance, the second round will be March 17, 2023, at Georgia Tech.
For students interested generally in industrial engineering, the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering has other outreach programs for K-12 students, including the opportunity to attend a class, tour the campus, and meet current students. Like the competition, the campus visit program is open to students who have completed AP Statistics.
Citizen science: Joro spiders
If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know I love recommending citizen science projects for gifted kids. This week, your kids can become citizen researchers for the University of Georgia’s Joro Spider Spotting Contest.
Joro spiders are native to Asia. They came to the United States in 2014. You can recognize them by their large size, bright coloring, and expansive webs, which may be in trees or between power lines.
Anytime a species is introduced to a new place, scientists want to know what effect it will have on the ecosystem. As part of their studies of the Joro spider, entomologists want to learn more about how many there are and how far they’ve spread geographically. Since the spiders are relatively easy to spot and recognize, it’s a perfect opportunity to call in citizen scientists.
To participate in the Joro Spider Spotting Contest, you’ll go out looking for spiders. If you see one, you’ll take a photo and submit it, either through the Joro Watch website or through the EddMAPs App, available on iOS or Android. You’ll report where you see Joro spiders, as well as where you look but don’t find any, as both of these are important for scientists to know. Visit jorowatch.com for detailed instructions.
The Joro Spider Spotting Contest will run through Saturday, Oct. 15.
DeKalb to offer MAP testing for private- and home-schooled students applying to high achiever magnets
DeKalb County School District will offer MAP Assessment testing in October and November for students not currently enrolled in a county public school who want to apply to one of the county’s high achiever magnet schools for the 2023-24 school year.
Testing is open to students who live in DeKalb County and who currently attend homeschool or a private school. Registration is open now and will close on Sept. 23, 2022.
It’s important to know that not all students who achieve a qualifying MAP test score will be able to enroll in a high achiever magnet school. These schools consistently draw more applicants than they have room for. All applicants who meet the qualifications will be entered into a lottery and available seats at each school will be filled by random selection.
Emory Math Circle registering for fall 2022
The Math Circle program at Emory University is now registering for its fall 2022 classes, which will be a mix of online and in-person sessions.
Math Circle is a free 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 begin this Saturday, September 10.
High school class sections will be held in person, on the Emory campus. Students must show proof of vaccination (including a booster shot). Masks are optional, in accordance with Emory policy.
Middle-school students can choose between in-person sections, with the same vaccination requirements as above, or Zoom sections.
Creative problem solving program “Destination Imagination” returns to Georgia
Destination Imagination (DI) is back in Georgia after a two-year hiatus. In the DI program, teams of kids work together on challenges that require a combination of technical, artistic and performance skills, although some challenges lean more toward scientific aspects, where others incorporate more of the arts.
A hallmark of DI is encouraging kids to tackle problems for themselves. Each team has one or more team managers, who can be teachers or parents, but these managers are primarily facilitators who help the team work together to learn new skills and come up with solutions. All the ideas and all the work must come from the team members themselves. In my experience, when this is done right, the kids surprise everyone — including their parents and themselves — with how self-sufficient and creative they can be.
DI is open to kids from kindergarten through college, with the challenges tailored to various ages. Teams typically form now, at the start of the school year. In the early spring, teams compete (against others of similar age) in a state tournament, usually held in the metro Atlanta area. Teams that win at the state tournament have the opportunity to go to D.I. Global Finals, an international event that will be held in May 2023 in Kansas City, MO.
I was a team manager with the DI program for many years, and both of my kids participated on teams. I absolutely endorse this program, and I recommend it ahead of the very similar Odyssey of the Mind program, even though Odyssey is the more popular program in Georgia. If you want to know more about my experiences or get some tips, send me a note through the Contact page of this website and I’ll be glad to set up a phone call with you.
Math professor seeks to inspire with local tour stops this weekend
Dr. Po-Shen Loh, a professor of math at Carnegie Mellon University and national coach of the USA International Math Olympiad team, will make three stops in metro Atlanta this weekend to talk about mathematics, creativity and innovation.
The free events are part of Loh’s summer-long tour and are for students in grades 5 through 11. Loh will speak this Friday in Marietta, and Saturday in Alpharetta and Brookhaven. All three events will be held in outdoor pavillions at public parks.
In addition to being a professor, Loh operates a for-profit online math enrichment program. The promoter who reached out to me about the tour events assures me the presentations are not merely promotions for the classes, although she says they will be “briefly mentioned.”
Math festival returns to Emory this weekend
Emory University is bringing back the Julia Robinson Math Festival this Saturday, August 27. The event will run from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., but students are welcome to drop in late and/or leave early.
The event targets middle-school and high-school students who love math. It offers challenging activities that get students to engage with math concepts they’re unlikely to encounter in their typical math classes. I’ve personally attended this event with my kids in the past and can attest it’s an enjoyable way to stretch your mathematical mind.
The math festival will be held in the atrium of the Math and Science Center. Admission is free; however, advance registration is requested.
Georgia Tech fall workshops for grades 2-12
Registration will open this Friday, August 19, for the fall sessions of K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop at Georgia Tech, which are returning to an in-person format.
K.I.D.S. Club is open to students in grades 2 through 5. STEAM Workshops are for students in grades 6 through 12. Georgia Tech hasn’t yet announced the topics for the fall workshops, but typically they are a mix of coding, engineering, and other hands-on science activities.
The fall schedule includes one Saturday per month in September, October, November and December. All four of the sessions are identical, so parents should register their students for only one of the four dates.
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.
Fossil Symposium at TELLUS
TELLUS Science Museum is hosting a Fossil Symposium on Saturday, August 13, 2022. The day’s schedule includes lectures by four paleontologists, plus lunch. TELLUS says the event is for anyone age 8 or over “with a working knowledge of geology and paleontology.”
Cost is $25 for TELLUS members, $40 for non-members. Space is limited and registration will close at noon on August 10.
Gifted Atlanta 