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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.
Creative play / makerspace in Decatur
Moonrise is a “flexible learning space” in downtown Decatur where kids ages 5 to 15 can engage their creativity. Opened in 2021, Moonrise features a recording studio, games, building toys (think Legos, robots and a 3-D printer), craft supplies and a library.
Members pay a monthly fee (currently $250 per child) for access. Kids can be dropped off for 1 to 3 hours at a time at the space, which is staffed by kid-friendly adults who can guide them through activities.
You can get a look at the space at their upcoming “Apollo Day,” July 20, celebrating the anniversary of the moon landing. The event is free, but you’ll need to reserve a ticket to attend.
New talent identification programs offer above-grade testing
When Duke University shut down its Duke TIP program in 2020, it left a worrisome hole in the available resources for gifted children and their parents. Fortunately, leaders in gifted education immediately began working on new programs to fill this gap, and two talent identification programs are now up and operating.
Baylor University
Baylor University, in Texas, recently launched Baylor TIP, which has begun offering above-grade testing for students in grades 4 through 8 who meet certain academic qualifications. Students in grades 7 or 8 can take a college-readiness exam that is designed for high-school juniors and seniors. Students in grades 4, 5 and 6 can take a different version of that exam, which has been modified for students in grades 8 and 9.
The exam can be taken online at any time. A paper version is also available. Parents can sign their children up individually, or schools can arrange to administer a test to multiple students. An informational session for school administrators will be held via Zoom this Friday, April 29.
Participating TIP students will receive a score report with educational recommendations. Those who participate will automatically qualify for enrichment programs offered through the Baylor Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development. Baylor TIP also will host an awards program for those with exceptionally high scores.
Western Kentucky University
The TIP-KY program is currently focused on testing students within the state of Kentucky, but the program director said they will try to assist students in other states who don’t have another option.
Why take an above-grade test?
Above-grade testing is valuable for gifted students, who often peg the meter on the standardized tests they’re administered in school. Taking a standardized test that was designed for an older student can help a student’s parents understand just how far ahead their child is, which can be useful in advocating for advanced learning in school.
In the now shuttered Duke TIP Talent Search, 7th-grade students took the SAT or ACT right alongside high-school juniors and seniors. That option seems to be off the table for now, as both the ACT and College Board now limit test registration to students who are 13 or older.
April workshops for grades 2 through 12 at Georgia Tech
The next session of Georgia Tech’s CEISMC programs will be Saturday, April 23.
K.I.D.S. Club, open to students in grades 2 through 5, will feature topics including coding, neuroscience and aerodynamics.
Students in grades 6 through 12 can enroll in STEAM Workshops, with topics such as marine science, website design and the mathematics of infectious diseases.
The April workshops will be held in person, on the Georgia Tech campus.
Online research program for high-schoolers
Pioneer Academics is an international program which connects high-school students with university professors to conduct guided research in their fields of interest. The program is now accepting applications for summer 2022.
I haven’t done a lot to vet this program, so you should do your due diligence to see if it’s a fit for your child. Their website talks a lot about how good Pioneer Academics will look on college applications, but they also seem to have a genuine interest in giving students the opportunity to do formal research — something that can be elusive for high-school students.
If you want to learn more, your best bet is to sign up for an information session. Applications to the summer program are due by April 10.
Tuition for this online-only program is $6,450. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available.
STEM Gems Summit introduces girls to women in STEM careers
Girls interested in STEM can learn from women who work in their fields of interest during the STEM Gems Summit on March 19, 2022. This online event will feature women who work in STEM-oriented careers at organizations including Merck, 3M and Amazon Web Services. Tickets start at $15.
STEM Gems is the brainchild of scientist Stephany Espy, who seeks to encourage girls to pursue STEM careers by connecting them with female mentors.
Virtual STEAM classes for grades 1-8, presented by Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education
Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education is now registering elementary- and middle-school students for the next session of its Saturday Exploration Program, which will be held online.
Class topics include digital storytelling, 3D design, stop motion movies, drones and more.
Classes will meet weekly for five Saturdays, February 26 through March 26. Cost to enroll is $125 for GAGE members, $150 for non-members. Registration deadline is February 21.
Gifted Atlanta 