Ten80 Racing Challenge revs up STEM curriculum
Last week, students from a dozen schools around Atlanta took part in the U.S. Army’s Ten80 Racing Challenge, an event that brings STEM concepts to life.
Ten80, created as a NASCAR initiative for STEM learning, is an educational program for middle schools and high schools. It combines high-level math with real-world technical skills in a curriculum aligned with Common Core standards.
Students in Ten80 spend the school year building remote-controlled vehicles for maximum speed and stability, and can even incorporate high-tech elements — such as robotics or alternative energy sources — into their cars. They can choose to compete against other schools from around the country, or just use this project-based learning as an enhancement to teaching STEM.
Schools can purchase the curriculum with available funds or with grants, or can apply for a sponsorship from the U.S. Army. Getting the curriculum in place can take up to a year, so plan ahead if you’d like to bring this to your school.
Alpharetta mom seeks homeschooled girls for a LEGO robotics team
I am passing along a note I received last week. I’ve heard only good things about the FIRST LEGO League.
I am Sunitha Jayakumar, homeschooling mom to a 10 year old gifted girl. I am looking to start a Girl Scouts Robotics FLL team (First Lego League), for the coming year. The team can have a maximum of 6-7 girls. The meetings will be at my place in Alpharetta (near McGinnis Ferry Rd). Please pass on this information to any homeschooling girls interested in joining the team. The age group is 9-14 years.
Thanks for your help.
You can contact Sunitha by reconstructing this e-mail address:
sunitha_jay AT yahoo DOT com
Application deadline for Advanced Academy at UWG is June 1
The Advanced Academy of Georgia, a residential program located at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, is now accepting applications for Fall 2013.
The Academy mostly admits rising high-school juniors and seniors, although the school will consider younger students of exceptional ability.
Advanced Academy can be an ideal environment for students with both the intellect and social maturity to get an early start on their college experience, in an environment where they have like-minded peers.
Unlike some early college options, Advanced Academy is one of a handful of programs in the United States where a high-school student can learn in a college setting — including living on campus — while earning both high-school and college course credits. That means they begin earning credits for a college degree, while at the same time fulfilling the requirements for their high-school diploma.
The application deadline for both admission and need-based financial aid is June 1.
Registration open for Atlanta Public Schools’ 2013 summer programs
Atlanta Public Schools is now accepting applications to its two summer programs: Xanadu, for rising 1st to 5th graders; and the Xanadu Arts and Sciences Academy, for rising 6th through 12th graders.
These programs, which are operated by APS’ Office of Gifted and Talented Education, are open to all, not only to APS students; however, the fees are significantly higher for non-APS students. Scholarships may be available based on financial need.
To apply for either program, you first register online to select your classes. Then, you must present required documents, to show your child’s gifted status, and pay your fees. That must be done in person at the APS Office of Gifted and Talented. Check the FAQ for more information about the process.
Bear in mind that only when you have made your payment is your child’s spot in a class confirmed. In other words, registering online does not hold you a space in the classes you want. Only completing the payment process guarantees your spot.
Good luck!
Firefly Watch welcomes citizen scientists
It won’t be long until fireflies make their evening appearances, signaling one another in their age-old dance. They’re a sure sign summer’s coming, and they also provide an opportunity to become a citizen scientist, helping researchers learn more about changing firefly populations.
The Museum of Science Firefly Watch is easy to do with kids. Just spend 10 minutes per week counting lightning bugs in your yard, or a park, or whatever spot you choose. Record some simple data about weather conditions and the flash patterns you see. Then, report your observations online. For extra fun, you can see what data others have collected, all over the country.
My kids and I have done this, and it’s a great learning project. Sign up now so you’ll be ready when the lightning bugs show up where you are!
New private school to open in Midtown for gifted students
This fall, the doors will open at Midtown International School, a private school geared toward gifted, high-achieving, and twice-exceptional children.
The school’s curriculum will emphasize integrated learning, STEM and global perspective — including foreign language. Class sizes will be small, with only 12 students per grade level.
The school is now completing construction on its building on Amsterdam Avenue, in the Piedmont Park area of Midtown.
In 2013-14, the school will serve kindergarten through fifth grades, expanding later to include middle-school grades.
Separate from enrollment in the school, MIS will host four weeks of summer camps in July for rising 1st-5th graders, in topics from horticulture to art.
Lots to choose from this summer at Georgia Tech
Still looking for summer camps for 2013? Georgia Tech has a whole list of summer camps being held on its campus.
The selections include robotics, music production, drama, musical theater, mobile app development, game design, and aerospace engineering.
Camps range from age 8 all the way up to college freshmen. Cost per week is roughly $200-$300 for most options.
Juilliard summer camp for young jazz musicians
The Juilliard School, an icon of music education, will hold its annual Jazz Summer Camp June 17-21, 2013, at North Atlanta High School Center for the Arts. Workshop classes are taught by Juilliard faculty and students and include combo work, individual practice and jam sessions.
Applicants should be 12-18 years old and passionate about jazz. The camp is open to students who play trumpet, saxophone, trombone, guitar, piano, double bass, or drums.
The Atlanta brochure (PDF) has all the details. Application deadline is May 1.
Limited spaces available at campMODA LEGO camps
Kids ages 6-14 can learn to build and operate LEGO robotics at the 2013 campMODA, a program of the Museum of Design Atlanta.
Younger children (6-8) use LEGO WeDo kits to build models and control them via computer software. Older campers (9-14) use LEGO NXT to build models from scratch and write their own programs to control their models.
Some weeks of campMODA are already sold out, but as of this posting, five weeks in June and July still have spaces open.
The camps are held at Colony Square in Midtown.
Information for DeKalb’s 2013 Serendipity summer program
You can’t register yet, but here is the basic information about this summer’s session of Serendipity summer camp, a program of the DeKalb County School District.
Dates: June 10-13, 2013 (That’s not a typo. The camp is four days long.)
Location: Midvale Elementary School
Open to: Students currently in grades 1-5
Serendipity camp is open to children who participated in the gifted program at a DeKalb County public school during the 2012-13 school year. If you have a student in DeKalb’s gifted programs, you should receive a flyer from the school with more details. The county’s gifted coordinator, Donyell Atkinson, told me the full information should go home by the end of April. Registration will take place from the end of April until mid-May.
Gifted Atlanta 