Archive
Digital art classes in northeast Atlanta
START:CODE is adding digital art and design classes for kids and teens, beginning in April.
Students will learn about composition, layout and color theory, working on tablet-based digital design software. Classes will be taught by a graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).
START:CODE also is accepting registration for its spring classes in coding and game design, as well as for summer camps.
Public speaking practice for kids and teens
Dogwood Toastmasters is offering a public speaking program this spring to help kids ages 10 to 17 get comfortable presenting their ideas in front of an audience.
The Youth Leadership Program will be held on Saturday mornings from April 18 to June 20, 2015, in northeast Atlanta. The registration deadline for this free class is April 4.
Atlanta Science Festival starts Saturday
Things are about to get real science-y around this town.
The second annual Atlanta Science Festival kicks off this Saturday, March 21, offering a solid week of science-related activities on lots of science topics.
You’ll find the usual suspects of STEM: model rocketry, robotics and forensics, just to name a few. But when’s the last time you had the chance to learn the science of table tennis, or squishy physics (food science)?
The week culminates in the Exploration Expo, a massive free event on Saturday, March 28, at Centennial Olympic Park. Dozens of companies and schools will host hands-on activities geared toward kids and families.
Free admission to Atlanta History Center on MLK Jr. Day
The Atlanta History Center will offer free admission on Monday, Jan. 19, 2015, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This will include access to the history museum, the Margaret Mitchell House, the 1928 Swan House and Smith Family Farm, the Centennial Olympic Games Museum, and the Goizueta Gardens.
START:CODE adds game development class
START:CODE invites middle- and high-school students to learn how to make computer games with the tools used by the pros.
The Game Maker lab, led by a local game developer, will introduce students to GameMaker Studio, the coding platform used by professional developers to create games for Android, iOS, PC, Mac and XBOX.
The lab will meet Monday evenings for six weeks, beginning January 12, 2015, at the START:CODE location in Toco Hill / Decatur.
(And by the way, if you’re curious about modern computer coding, START:CODE offers entry-level adult classes, too.)
Gwinnett Symphony Youth Orchestra seeks young musicians
The Gwinnett Symphony Youth Orchestra
will begin rehearsals next Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015, at Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville.
Wind, brass, string and percussion musicians who are 18 or under are invited to apply to join the orchestra.
The youth orchestra is led by conductor Dr. Gregory Pritchard, and plays alongside adult musicians in the symphony’s masterworks concerts.
See FIRST LEGO League in action
If you’ve ever wondered what FIRST LEGO League teams do, or whether the program might be a good fit for your child, take them with you to see the top Georgia FIRST LEGO League teams compete in super-regional tournaments this month. Dates and locations for the competitions are:
- Jan. 10: Clayton State University in Atlanta, Clark Creek Elementary in Acworth, and Columbus State University in Columbus
- Jan. 17: Creekland Middle School in Lawrenceville, Athens Academy in Athens
- Jan. 24: Starbase Robins in Warner Robins
The teams, made up of students ages 9 to 14, have spent the fall working together to build working robots from a LEGO robotics kit.
UGA now accepting 8th-11th graders for Duke TIP Scholar Weekends
The University of Georgia is now registering students for its Duke TIP Scholar Weekends being held on Feb. 28 to March 1 and April 18-19, 2015.
Scholar weekends are open to students in grades 8-11 who have either A) taken part in a talent search conducted by Duke TIP; or B) been identified as gifted by their school. This includes students taking accelerated, honors, Advanced Placement or IB classes.
Available topics for the weekends include oceanography, new media, robotics, international relations, and Shakespeare, just to name a few. The most popular classes will fill quickly.
Students stay on campus in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education during the weekend.
Limited financial aid may be available.
UGA-Duke TIP Academic Adventures spring programs now registering 5th and 6th graders
UGA-Duke TIP Academic Adventures for fifth and sixth grade students will be offered on the University of Georgia campus on Jan. 24, Feb. 14, and March 21, 2015. Registration for all three sessions is open now on a first come, first served basis.
To participate in this one-day program, your child must be enrolled in the Duke TIP 4th-6th Grade Talent Search.
Academic Adventures students choose a single topic to study, such as zoology, chemistry, fantasy literature, improv, social media, sharks, Bugbot design, and mini vet school. That’s just a sampling — there are dozens more courses covering topics your child is unlikely to encounter in school.
Popular courses will sell out. The cost for each one-day session is $145. Need-based scholarships may be available.
If you haven’t registered your child with Duke TIP, it’s an easy process, and it gives you access to programs like Academic Adventures as well as useful information about raising gifted children.
Get $200 off Space Camp through Monday at midnight
Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., is offering a $200 discount off programs for kids and families, now through Monday at midnight. 
The discount can be used for a week of Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, or Robotics summer camp, or for the weekend family camp versions of Space Camp or Aviation Challenge.
If it feels too early to commit to summer camp dates, don’t sweat it. Space Camp will let you register now, take the $200 discount, and select your program dates later.
This is the only sale Space Camp offers to the general public.
Gifted Atlanta 