Registration open for spring semester Duke TIP Academic Adventures sessions at UGA
If you have a child who has participated in the Duke TIP 4th-6th Grade Talent Search, you’re eligible to sign up now for any of three Academic Adventures programs at the University of Georgia in January, February, and March 2014.
Academic Adventures students choose a single topic to study during the full-day program on the UGA campus. There are more than a dozen subjects to choose from, including roller coaster physics, geocaching, forensics, sports medicine, the Civil War, storytelling, mini-vet school and a whole lot more.
Registration officially closes 15 days before the date of each session, but popular courses will fill up quickly.
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 information about raising gifted children.
Hands-on science at Fernbank Museum this Saturday
This Saturday, November 9, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History will host “Science at Hand Day,” sort of a sampler menu of the sciences.
Visiting organizations, mostly from metro area universities, will offer hands-on activities in a variety of scientific fields, including chemistry, astronomy, ecology, structural engineering and neuroscience.
The activities are included as part of museum admission.
(Note: This event takes place at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, not the Fernbank Science Center. It can be confusing.)
November is open house season at magnet schools
If you’re thinking about sending your child to a magnet school in 2014-15, it’s time to start planning your open house visits.
Magnet schools typically hold parent tours in November. Some schools have application deadlines in December, so it’s important to start early and look into the admissions schedule of any school you’re considering. Early action is especially crucial for fine arts magnet schools that require an audition.
All the magnet schools I’ve found in my research are listed within the school system pages under the “Gifted Ed in Local Schools” heading. Some schools have posted their open house dates on their web sites, but many haven’t, so I suggest calling the school to ask.
Preview days for Advanced Academy early college at UWG
This Sunday, Oct. 27, will be the first preview day of the season at University of West Georgia in Carrollton, home of the Advanced Academy of Georgia.
Advanced Academy is an early college program for high-school juniors and seniors — and occasionally an extraordinary sophomore. Students live on campus in their own dormitory and take college classes. Advanced Academy is one of the few residential programs in the nation that allows students to earn both high-school credit and college credit for their coursework.
You can register online for this weekend’s preview until tomorrow, or register onsite when you arrive. If you miss this one, there will be additional days to visit the campus on January 26 and March 30, 2014.
Science competition encourages study of natural world
Students in grades 7 through 12 are invited to take part in the Young Naturalist Awards, a science fair of sorts sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Participating students conduct research on a scientific topic of their choice and submit an essay about their research and findings. The winners receive cash awards.
The competition is open to all students, regardless of whether they are in public, private or home school. The rules state that students can work together on a project, so long as they write their essays individually. Sounds like it could be a viable project for a science class to do in small groups.
Entries must be submitted between Dec. 1, 2013, and March 1, 2014.
Sparticl launches site to nurture STEM curiosity
Sparticl, a new web site focused on science and technology, has emerged from beta and is now available for public use.
The site features articles, videos and activities designed to nurture teens’ curiosity in STEM topics at an age when, unfortunately, many kids lose their natural interest in science.
Topics being covered on Sparticl right now include space junk, concussions, the physics of baseball, DNA fingerprinting, tornadoes, enzymes, and the science of chocolate. The site is well organized so visitors can browse the area that interests them most.
Teens can browse the site, comment on the content, even earn points and badges for their participation in the site.
Visit a museum free this Saturday
It’s that time of year again: This Saturday, Sept. 28, is the Smithsonian Magazine’s annual Museum Day, offering free admission to dozens of participating museums in Georgia.
Venues in the Atlanta area include the Center for Puppetry Arts, Museum of Design Atlanta, and the Marietta Museum of History. (Sorry, folks, looks like The High Museum opted not to take part this year.)
Three things you need to know:
1) You can’t just show up at the door. You have to register and print out your tickets before you go.
2) There is a limit of two free admissions per household.
3) This is a popular event. Be prepared to stand in line.
Register for GSU Saturday School’s next session, including LEGO Robotics
Georgia State University is now accepting registrations for the second fall session of Saturday School.
The 2013 Fall B session begins Oct. 26 and runs five consecutive Saturdays. Classes are offered in the mornings and afternoons on the GSU campus. Classes will cover a variety of topics in science, the arts, language and more, from space and weather to poetry and sharks.
Also this fall, Saturday School will offer LEGO Robotics classes, always a popular STEM program.
Saturday School is open to children in kindergarten through 8th grade. The program is geared toward students who have been identified as gifted by their school, but kids who haven’t been formally identified can be granted provisional enrollment for one year.
The registration deadline is Oct. 9. A 10 percent discount will be applied if you register before Sept. 30.
Registration open for K.I.D.S. Club at Georgia Tech
K.I.D.S. Club (Kids Interested in Discovering Science) at Georgia Tech is now accepting registrations for its fall and spring sessions.
This Saturday morning program exposes kids to the fun side of science, math, engineering and technology. It is open to students in 2nd to 12th grades.
Kids in 2nd to 5th grades do a variety of hands-on activities. In past classes, these younger students have built water rockets, rubber band cars, zip lines and high rises, to name a few. Older kids — grades 6 to 12 — are offered an introduction to developing applications for the iPhone without programming. Middle-schoolers also have the option of doing LEGO Robotics.
Fall sessions will be Oct. 26 and Dec. 7, 2013; spring sessions will be Feb. 8 and March 8, 2014. The two fall dates and the two spring dates are identical programs, so you should only sign up for one class per season. All sessions are held from 9 a.m. to noon at Georgia Tech.
A preschool that celebrates curiosity
Just added to this site’s Private Schools page: The Schoolhouse Preschool Academy in Duluth. This preschool, serving ages 1 to 5, seeks to provide something far more ambitious than daycare, with a hands-on, Montessori approach to learning. The school offers half-day and full-day programs that encourage children to experiment and explore.
The Schoolhouse acknowledges that children are different and learn differently. In a world where too often, parents who suggest that their 3-year-old child might be gifted are met with raised eyebrows and skeptical dismissals, that’s a breath of fresh air.
Gifted Atlanta 