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Spring break and summer programs at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech has opened registration for its spring break camp and a slate of summer programs that include day camps and residential programs.
Spring Break STEAM Adventure. This one-week camp for students in grades 6-8 will be held April 1-5. The program meets daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with aftercare available until 5 p.m. at no extra cost. Each weekday will have a main theme, with topics including forensic science, computer science, and math. You can register for individual days or for the whole week. Register at the STEAM Workshops page — scroll down a bit until you see “Spring into STEAM.”
Summer P.E.A.K.S. A series of one-week and two-week day camps for students in grades 2-12. Camps meet daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Camp topics are STEAM-related and include engineering, coding, LEGO robotics, computational science, music production and energy. See the full list of camps on the summer registration page.
FBI InfraGard Cyber Security Camp. Cybersecurity experts from the FBI, Georgia Tech and private companies will introuduce cybersecurity skills and techniques to 9th-12th graders. Camp meets daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., June 10-14. The application deadline is March 21 at 5 p.m. To find details, go to the summer learning page and scroll down to find Georgia Tech Cyber Security Camp.
First Generation College Institute. A four-day residential program for 8th to 12th graders, June 20-23. This is an introduction to scholarships, financial aid, campus life, etc., with some STEM learning sessions during the weekend. The program is for prospective first-generation college students. Cost is $25, which includes housing and all meals. Registration deadline is April 12 at 5 p.m. To register, go to the summer learning page, scroll down to the Residential Sessions section and look for 2024 First Generation College Institute.
GT G.I.R.L.S. Institute. A five-day residential program, June 24-28, for girls in grades 9-11. Programming combines hands-on experiments and exploring the Tech campus. Application deadline is April 12 at 5 p.m. For more information, go to the summer learning page, scroll down to the Residential Sessions section and look for G.T. G.I.R.L.S.
GT Robotics Institute. A five-day residential camp, June 22-26, for students in grades 9-11. Students will build and program autonomous robots to drive on a racetrack that they design and build. Application deadline is April 12 at 5 p.m. For more information, go to the summer learning page, scroll down to the Residential Sessions section and look for GT CEISMC Robotics Institute.
Georgia Tech has need-based scholarships available for in-person programs. If a student qualifies for free or reduced price lunch at their school, they are likely eligible for a BOOST Scholarship.
Summer planning starts now
I say the same thing most every December: Can it really be time to make summer plans already?
Indeed, it really can. Summer camps and programs are starting to open registration for summer 2024. Even if you’re not ready to make a decision, you might want to start thinking about the possibilities.
The Summer Programs page on GiftedAtlanta.com lists dozens of options. I’ve organized them by age — one section for elementary- and middle-school, and another for high school. I verified all the links today, so I hope you won’t hit any dead ends.
Programs do make changes from time to time, particularly with ages served or location, so there may be a rare case where the brief description on the Summer Programs page doesn’t match up exactly with the details on a program’s website. If you find any discrepancies, would you please let me know by sending a message through the Contact page?
Also, if you have summer programs to recommend, please let me know. As my kids have gotten older, I haven’t done as much searching for programs as I used to. I’m sure there are new options out there that could be added to the list. Thank you.
A guide to talent search programs
Since Duke TIP closed its doors three years ago, I’ve been on the lookout for other talent search programs for students in our area. Thankfully, today I found out about a list of talent search programs all over the United States, published by the Davidson Institute.
Details provided for each program include the ages served, the qualification requirements, and what type of programming they provide. Out-of-state programs on weekends for younger kids probably won’t be of much use, but some of the programs have online classes, and summer programs outside the southeast might be worth considering for older kids.
Creative Writing Camp in July
Lit Diaries, an Atlanta organization that celebrates Black culture and the Black experience through the arts, is hosting a creative writing camp in July for students ages 11 to 18. The weekly camp runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at Lit Diaries in northwest Atlanta.
Camp activities include workshops, visits from guest writers and creative artists, and personal writing time. The camp emphasizes informal, playful, expressive writing, although students will take additional time to polish select pieces.
VOX ATL taking applications for summer multimedia program and youth poet laureate
VOX ATL, a non-profit organization that calls itself “Atlanta’s home for uncensored teen publishing and self-expression” and has a mission to uplift the voices of young people, has two opportunities for area teens.
This summer, VOX will host two sessions of its long-running Media Cafe. a two-week program that introduces teens to multimedia production, journalism and public speaking. Media Cafe includes hands-on experience with writing, video editing, podcasting, graphic design and more, as well as field trips and the chance to meet creative professionals who work in Atlanta. The program is open to ages 13-19. The application deadline is April 15, but spaces will be filled on a rolling basis, and each session has a limit of 12 participants, so it’s best to apply as soon as possible. To learn more, visit the Media Cafe page.
VOX ATL also has joined forces with Urban Word NYC to select an Atlanta Youth Poet Laureate. Teens ages 13-18 are invited to apply for the honor. The Youth Poet Laureate will have their writing published, be eligible to compete in regional and national Youth Poet Laureate competitions, and receive their choice of either $500 or the resources needed to publish their own poetry chapbook. Deadline to submit the online application is April 15.
Georgia Tech spring workshops and summer camps
Registration is open now for a slew of programs at Georgia Tech, from Saturday morning workshops to summer camps.
- Spring break STEAM camp for grades 6-8, April 3-7 (details in my post from February)
- K.I.D.S. Club for grades 2-5, various topics, Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. to noon
- STEAM Workshop for grades 6-12, various topics, Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m. to noon
- Virtual STEAM Whistle Workshop for grades 6-8, app and game development, Saturday, April 15 (This session is full. You can join the waiting list, but the odds of a spot opening up are slim.)
- First Generation College Institute, residential program for rising 8th to 12th graders, June 23-25. This is an introduction to scholarships, financial aid, campus life, etc., with some STEM learning sessions during the weekend. The program is for prospective first-generation college students. Cost is $25, which includes housing and all meals. Registration deadline is April 10.
- FBI InfraGard Cyber Security Camp, summer program for rising 9th to 12th graders, June 12-16. Students will learn about technology, engineering and cybersecurity in classes taught by experts from the FBI, Georgia Tech, and private companies. Application deadline is March 25 at 5 p.m. Students will be selected based on their applications. To find details, go to the main Summer P.E.A.K.S. page and scroll down to find Cyber Security Camp.
- Summer P.E.A.K.S. day camps for rising 4th to 12th graders, various STEM topics, June 5 to July 28.
Georgia Tech has available funding to give scholarships for in-person programs. If a student qualifies for free or reduced price lunch at their school, they are likely eligible for a BOOST Scholarship.
Updated information on DCSD Serendipity
My apologies for this second post, but I just received additional information about the Serendipity program from the DeKalb County gifted office. Most important is that the registration deadline is this Friday, March 24.
Session 1 is actually May 30 to June 2, not May 30 to June 1. This session will be held at Stone Mountain Middle School.
Session 2, June 26-29, will be held at McNair Middle School.
DCSD has confirmed that there will be no registration fee for Serendipity 2023. Additionally, participating students will be provided with breakfast and lunch each day of the program. However, transportation is not provided.
Registration open for DeKalb County’s Serendipty summer program for gifted students
Note: See the updated post to get more detailed and accurate information about Serendipity.
DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has opened registration for its 2023 summer programs, including the Serendipity enrichment program for gifted-identified students.
Serendipity will hold two sessions: May 30 to June 1 (3 days) and June 26 to June 29 (4 days). (Correction: Session 1 is May 30 to June 2.) Topics will range from visual and performing arts to world language and computer technology. Serendipity is open to students currently in grades 1-6 who have been identified as gifted through DCSD’s identification process.
Other DCSD summer camps include Girls Who Code for high-school girls and Aviation Camp for grades 4-6.
To enroll in any DCSD camp, a student must be enrolled in a DCSD school. The camps are provided by the county at no cost.
More information on all DCSD summer camps is online.
Summer writing camps at Atlanta History Center on sale this week
Atlanta History Center is offering a $50 discount this week on its 2023 summer writing camps. These day camps run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and are held on the campus of the history center in northwest Atlanta.
Each week’s camp has a different theme, from historical fiction to news writing.
Note: The page linked above lists all of the camps being offered this summer; however, only camps designated as writing camps are eligible for this sale. History camps will not receive the discount.
No code is needed to take advantage of the sale, which ends March 24.
Virtual STEM camp for girls
STEM Gems summer camp, designed for girls rising to grades 6 through 9, will be held online the week of June 26-30, 2022.
Founded by engineer Stephanie Espy, STEM Gems aims to connect girls who have an interest in STEM with women who work in STEM careers, so that they can envision their own futures. To that end, girls participating in the summer camp will attend live interviews with select STEM professionals. The camp also includes hands-on activities.
Thanks to a grant, all campers rising to 9th grade will receive full scholarships. To request a scholarship, parents must complete a scholarship application by this Thursday, June 9.
Gifted Atlanta 