Released March 4, 2009
CLEMSON, S.C. — Middle school and high school students interested in research in fields ranging from stage performance to wildlife studies can register now for the 29th Summer Science, Engineering and Architecture Enrichment Program at Clemson University.
Sessions begin on Sunday, June 7, and run through Saturday, Aug. 8.
Twenty-five classes are being offered in everything from communications and economics to bioengineering and DNA science. They offer students opportunities to explore topics in depth guided by experts in each field.
Clemson faculty members and other instructors will conduct the classes using creative learning techniques, experiential and hands-on methods. New classes this year include economics, landscape architecture, stage performance, getting to know wildlife, two computer classes and four math classes.
This year students can participate in an intercultural communications class with a group of students from Japan.
Students will experience campus life during the program as well, living in dormitories and eating in the dining halls. Students are supervised by counselors, many of whom have participated in the program themselves.
A balanced schedule of educational, recreational and cultural activities help students broaden their academic skills and develop their creative abilities. Students take classes during the day and engage in social activities in the evenings and on weekends, according to Barbara Speziale, associate dean of undergraduate studies and professor in biological sciences at Clemson.
“For more than 500 gifted middle and high school students from South Carolina, across the United States and internationally, this enrichment program goes way outside the box of traditional classes,” Speziale said. “Students can perform surgery on a cow heart if they are interested in a medical career, explore biology from microbes to animals, learn modern molecular biology in the DNA Learning Center, learn economics, architecture, landscape architecture or learn about wildlife in the Clemson forest.”
Most importantly, the program gives students not just a head start, but more like a flying leap into the world of discovery and knowledge that awaits them in higher education, Speziale added.
“The confidence and skills that they find here will prepare and mature them to set goals, meet challenges and interact with others,” she said.
The classes are designed for students who generally are in the top 10 percent in their schools. The application requires evidence of academic performance and a recommendation letter from a teacher or guidance counselor.
For a fee schedule, more information and to apply for classes, go to the Summer Science, Engineering and Architecture Enrichment Program Web site at http://www.clemson.edu/ugs/summerscience/ or contact Nell Coffey at summerscience@clemson.edu or 864-656-5849.
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http://www.clemson.edu/newsroom/articles/2009/march/SummerScience09.php5
Contacts: Nell Coffey, 864-656-5849, summerscience@clemson.edu
Teresa C. Hopkins, 864-656-1222, hopkin1@clemson.edu