Free computer science summer program for 10th and 11th grade girls
There are only four days left to submit applications for the Girls Who Code seven-week summer immersion program, which will be offered at three locations around metro Atlanta during summer 2016.
Current 10th and 11th grade girls will receive instruction in coding and meet members of the business community, learning about the role computer science plays in a variety of industries. The program is designed for beginners — no coding experience is necessary.
The program will be held on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., from June 6 to July 22. Locations are:
- Accenture, 100 Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, 30303
- AT&T, 725 West Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, 30308
- GE, 2018 Powers Ferry Rd. SE, Atlanta, 30339
The summer immersion program is free to all participants. Students who have to pay for transportation to the program location may be eligible for a stipend to cover those costs. And for girls who qualify, cash scholarships of $400 to $1,400 may be available. This money is intended to offset the loss of wages for girls who would ordinarily need to work a summer job.
Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization dedicated to closing the gender gap in technology.
Applications are due March 8.
Seeking feedback on Duke TIP summer programs
Someone wrote to me and asked what I knew about the Duke TIP summer programs. She is trying to select a location (Davidson, Trinity, or Wake Forest) for her child.
I have no personal experience with these programs, so I’m putting this one out to you, readers. If you have a child who has participated in a Duke TIP summer program, would you take a minute to comment about where they attended and how it was?
Thanks!
Scholarships for high ability, low-income 7th graders
High-achieving, seventh-grade students whose families have limited incomes are encouraged to apply for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars program. Applications are being accepted through April 14, 2016.
The Young Scholars program offers advisement and financial support from eighth grade through the end of high school. The scholarship pays for enrichment activities — such as summer camps, music lessons, and distance learning classes — for students who are academically solid and financially challenged. (Wondering what “financially challenged” means? Applicants must have adjusted family income of $95,000 or less, and the Foundation reports that the average family income of its scholars is $30,000 a year.)
Students must apply during their seventh-grade year. Those selected enter the program in eighth grade and continue as Young Scholars through high school. The Young Scholars program also is a pathway to the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship program, which provides $40,000 per year for college.
The application package requires tax forms and teacher recommendations, so give yourself time to get everything together.
Atlanta Science Festival is coming
The third annual Atlanta Science Festival will be held March 19-26, 2016.
From robotics to bird watching, astronomy to electronic music, nearly 100 science-related events will be held around the metro area. The festival culminates in the Exploration Expo, a gigantic, interactive celebration of science on March 26 at Centennial Olympic Park.
Some activities require advance registration, so take a look at what’s available and reserve your space now.
“Egg-Speriments” workshop for ages 8 to 12
The University of West Georgia invites kids ages 8 to 12 to its “Egg-Speriments” workshop, Saturday, March 5, 2016, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Kids will investigate the properties of eggs and will conduct an egg drop off a campus building.
Registration fee of $35 covers all supplies and a snack.
AICL adds a new summer program for high-schoolers
The Appalachian Institute for Creative Learning, which has been offering summer enrichment camps since 1982, will introduce a new camp this summer for students rising into grades 8 to 12.
Dubbed “Week Zero,” the new residential camp will maintain AICL’s emphasis on hands-on learning and the fun of exploring new ideas, but will have a greater academic focus than AICL’s other camps. It will be held at Mars Hill University, near Asheville, N.C.
My children have attended AICL, and last summer I taught there. I was impressed with the dedication of the camp instructors and staff, and with the overall vibe of the camp, where campers who defy the common mold are not only accepted but appreciated for their unique qualities. If your child is often the odd kid out in their everyday life, AICL may be where they finally find their tribe.
Juried art competition for high-school students
High-school students from the Atlanta area are invited to submit their artwork to the 2016 Atlanta High School Art Exhibition, a juried art competition that culminates in a showing at the Atlanta Dogwood Festival in April.
The AHSAE was established in the 1970s and now draws more than 700 entries per year. One hundred are selected to be shown at the festival. Students can win art supplies and scholarships.
The contest welcomes entries in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, pottery, computer graphics, and more. The work must have been created during the 2015-16 school year, either in school or as part of the school curriculum.
Interested students should start by talking to the art teacher at their high school to see about submitting through the school. If submission through the school is not possible, students may submit their work on their own.
The submissions deadline is Feb. 25, 2016.
Decatur Schools gifted survey
City of Decatur Schools is conducting a survey about its gifted education programs. If you have a student in the Decatur school system who has been identified as gifted and is receiving gifted services, you can complete the anonymous survey here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19DHj8C8pv5ar3Uhh7hM18TXAfPKxIxFyRLCNEvaVLYU/viewform?c=0&w=1
Summer camps at Midtown International School for grades K-8
Registration is open for Midtown International School’s 2016 summer camps, open to students in kindergarten through 8th grade.
This summer, the one-week camps will cover a range of topics including rocketry, robotics, art, photography, and volcanoes. Campers will be grouped by grade level. Groups are limited to 12 campers each.
Camps will be held on the school’s campus in northeast Atlanta. A limited number of scholarships are available.
Emory Math Circle is for math-lovers, grades 6-12
Emory Math Circle is a different kind of math enrichment program.
First, it’s not a class. It’s more of a club.
And second, its purpose isn’t to push students so they can take calculus when they’re 15. Rather, it’s a place where kids who enjoy math can explore mathematical concepts or topics in a way their math classes don’t, with games, puzzles, and in-depth problems to solve.
Math Circle is open to students in grades 6 to 12. Students are divided into two groups, based on their grade level and math experience.
The program meets on Saturday afternoons on the Emory campus. Groups are taught by Ph.D. students from the Emory Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
The next session of Math Circle will begin on Saturday, Jan. 30. Registration is open now, with new students accepted on a rolling basis, as space allows.
Not ready to commit to a whole semester of math enrichment? Check out the Julia Robinson Math Festival this Saturday, Jan. 23, at Emory. At this two-hour event, students can visit multiple stations where they’ll explore math problems and concepts, with guidance from mathematicians. It’s free, but advance registration is required.
Gifted Atlanta 