What is the Young Women's Summer Institute?
YWSI is a week-long program sponsored by the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) for middle school girls in Ohio. Designed to provide hands-on experience with computers, math, science and engineering, YWSI helps girls develop an interest in these subjects by allowing them to work on practical, interesting scientific problems using the latest computer technology.
YWSI was established by Steven Gordon, who stewarded the program from 2000 to 2018. Gordon served in various roles at OSC, including interim co-executive director, deputy director and senior director of education.
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Who is eligible to apply?
Ohio residents in 6th and 7th grade (in the 2023-2024 school year) and K-12 science and math teachers.
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Program Details
Dates
Young Women's Summer Institute will take place July 7-13, 2024.
Applications open January 1 and close on April 1. Accepted students are notified in May.
Cost
$264 per attendee.
The fee covers housing, meals and program tuition, including laboratory visits, insurance, chaperones, social activities and equipment costs.
Location
Ohio Supercomputer Center
1224 Kinnear Road
Columbus, Ohio 43212
Activities
Young Women's Summer institute is designed to offer an enriching educational and recreational experience by combining engaging lectures, interactive tours, and group project work with frequent recreational breaks and exciting evening activities on OSU's campus.
Example Academic Activities
Lectures:
- Introduction to Watersheds
- Water Ecology / Analysis
- Fundamentals of the Water Cycle
- Presentation Skills
- Betty Lise Anderson Engineering Presentation / Activity
Tours:
- Big Darby Creek
- Byrd Polar
- Chadwick Arboretum
Projects
Attendees will participate in projects that require them to analyze data and visualize results. Individual projects introduce fundamental computer skills and provide students with an understanding of a variety of computer applications. During the program, students will become familiar with spreadsheet and presentation software. Read more about these projects.
Example Recreational Activities
- Swimming
- Movie Night
- Board Game Night
- Scrapbooking
Care, Custody and Control
OSC is committed to providing the best experience possible for youth involved in our summer programs. Staff is expected to hold themselves to the highest standards of conduct when interacting with youth. OSC Summer programs follow the OSU Youth Activities and Programs Policy, which establishes requirements that safeguard the wellbeing of youth.
Daily Routine
Consistent elements of a day at Young Women's Summer Institute
| Time | |
|---|---|
| ~7:30 AM | Breakfast at OSU dining hall |
| ~8:30 AM | Campus bus to OSC |
| ~9:00 AM | Group touch point |
| ~Noon | Lunch at OSC |
| ~4:30 PM | Daily survey |
| ~5:00 PM | Campus bus to dorm |
| ~6:00 PM | Dinner at OSU dining hall and Various activities |
| ~9:00 PM | Curfew in dorm |
| ~11:00 PM | Lights outs |
Contact Information
(614) 292-9248 or si-contact@osc.edu
Program Impact
Assessment Survey Results
After completing the post-YWSI survey, students and parents alike note a greater confidence among the girls in their use of technology, math and science classes, school presentations, and problem-solving abilities.
Activities and Targeted Outcomes
Each activity has been designed with a targeted outcome in mind. For example, see several of the activities below.
| Activity | Description | Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Science project: discover the human activities that impact water quality | Use data from a real watershed to relate land use, water pollution, and habitat information to the biological and physical quality of the stream | Uses qualitative and quantitative data, interdisciplinary group project, holistic study, hands-on, constructivist approach, topic focuses on middle school science standards |
| Introductory games with science terminology | Use the terms and definitions of science materials thry will need for their project | Hands-on, not competitive, makes learning fun |
| Career night | Career review with women of scientific and technical achievements; play a career game created by OSC staff | Provides role models, knowledge of career options, game constructed with prizes for everyone, not competitive |
YWSI 2023 Recap Video