Gifted Atlanta

As previously reported in this space, Duke TIP has been discontinued. In its place is Duke University Pre-College, which is now accepting applications for summer 2021 programs, to be offered online only.

The courses are open to students who are currently in high school. Class topics include criminal law, econometrics, Mars, politics and photojournalism. Courses run for two or three weeks, depending on the topic.

Unlike the Duke TIP summer programs of the past, the Pre-College summer programs aren’t restricted to students who have participated in a Duke TIP Talent Search, in which 7th-grade students take the SAT or ACT. Instead, applicants will be asked to provide a transcript, resume and essay.

In lieu of its usual residential summer program, Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) is offering an online summer academy for rising 8th through 12th graders.

PTY Online Academy is open to students who have scored in the top 5 percent (approximately) on a standardized test. Courses are two weeks long and include biochemistry, rhetoric, psychology, astronomy, and moral leadership, among others.

Classes will meet daily online from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eastern, with additional individual or group assignments in the afternoons. Social opportunities are offered in the evenings.

Registration for July sessions is taking place now. Program fee is $550 per two-week course. Financial assistance may be available.

Girls’ under-representation in STEM careers has led to the formation of numerous programs and organizations to encourage girls’ interest in STEM.

Two such groups are offering online camps:

• PROJECT SCIENTIST. This California-based organization ordinarily holds camps for girls on university campuses. This summer, they’re providing week-long camps online, starting at the end of June. Topics include robotics, DNA, energy, and more. Open to ages 4-12. Each weekly session costs $325, which includes 3 hours of programming each day and a virtual lab kit for conducting hands-on experiments. (Use discount code PS2020-20OFF to get $20 off.) Financial aid is available. Scholarship applications must be submitted by June 7.

• STEM GEMS. This Atlanta-based group is focused on giving girls female role models who work in STEM careers, so that girls can envision and plan for their futures as STEM professionals. This four-day online camp is open to girls who are entering 6th through 9th grades. Cost is $250, which includes a copy of founder Stephanie Espy’s book, STEM Gems.

The DeKalb County School District has long provided a week-long enrichment program called Serendipity to its gifted elementary-age students. This year, Serendipity will be a live, virtual program, June 15-19, 2020.

Enrichment activities will include art, Spanish language, drama, and physical education.

Serendipity is open to rising 1st through 6th graders who are enrolled in a DeKalb County public school.

Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., is now accepting applications to its June 2020 Bulldog Pharmacy Camp.

The one-week residential camp is open to current high-school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Students will learn about pharmacy school and careers, participate in hands-on compounding demonstrations, and experience campus life.

Application deadline is Feb. 1, 2020. A limited number of scholarships are available.

Thank you to GiftedAtlanta.com reader Cindy D. for telling me about this!

The Governor’s Honors Program is a highly regarded and highly selective summer program for students who are currently in 10th or 11th grade. The four-week program is held on the campus of Berry University in Rome and offers “academic, cultural and social enrichment.”

The program is funded by the State of Georgia, so selected students pay no tuition to attend.

To apply, a student must first be nominated by a teacher at their school, who teaches the subject area the student wants to study at GHP. Those nominations are due this fall.

Following the nomination process, students complete a rigorous application, after which they may be invited for interviews.

If your child is interested in GHP, they should reach out now to the GHP coordinator at their school. Home-schooled students should contact the GHP coordinator at the school they would be designated to attend if they were attending public school.

The University of West Georgia will offer a number of day camps this summer at its Carrollton and Newnan campuses.

Camps are offered for children as young as 5 (rising kindergarten) through teens. Camp themes include dinosaurs, STEM, ocean life, art and movie making.

The camps are described as fun with a touch of academic content.

The Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education (GAGE) will offer two weeks of its Summer Exploration Program this summer.

The camp is open to rising 1st through 8th graders. Campers choose a morning class and an afternoon class. Topics include brain teasers, event planning, food science, criminal justice, games, and more. Each class is taught by a certified teacher.

Summer Exploration Program camps will be held June 3-7 at Partee Elementary School in Snellville, and June 10-14 at Arcado Elementary School in Lilburn. The registration deadline is May 24, 2019.

Students don’t have to be enrolled in Gwinnett County Public Schools to attend the GAGE camps.

Spivey Hall at Clayton State University will offer a music camp this summer for students rising to grades 4-7.

Campers will sing in a chorus, play percussion and chimes, and learn folk dances, in addition to other social and artistic activities. Musical experience isn’t required to attend the camp, but campers should be enthusiastic about making music with others.

The camp will be held June 10-14, 2019, on the Clayton State University campus. Registration is open now. Enrollment is limited to 45 students.

This is a clarification of my earlier post about the Summer at the Circus program: The program staff informed me today that the January 18 deadline is only for the program in which students earn college credit. The deadline for students who aren’t seeking course credit has been extended until April 30, 2019. My original post has been edited to reflect this updated information.