OSC Summer Camps offer skills, credit and fond memories

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Mar 7, 2008) — 
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The Ohio Supercomputer Center's K-12 summer education programs — Summer Academy, Young Women's Summer Institute (YWSI) and Summer Institute (SI) — are now accepting applications for 2008.

Summer Academy in Computational Science and Engineering

New in 2008, the Summer Academy in Computational Science and Engineering is for high school students and teachers interested in learning how to use modeling and simulation in engineering design.

Two non-residential summer programs taking place concurrently in Akron and Columbus (June 16 – July 2, 2008) will teach participants the basic modeling and programming skills required of freshman engineering students, enhance their communication skills and show how to apply concepts in math, scientific experimentation and design. The program continues through the academic year with mentoring and additional work on projects. Student participants will receive three semester hours of undergraduate credit and at least a half credit from their high schools.

Teachers will learn how to integrate computer modeling and simulation into their classrooms, teach the materials associated with this course, and apply project-based learning to their own classrooms. Teachers will receive three semester hours of graduate credit for their participation.

Ohio high school juniors and seniors who are able to commute to one of the university host sites are encouraged to apply, as are high school teachers interested in implementing a computational science and engineering course in their schools..

Created by the Ohio Supercomputer Center, the University of Akron, and The Ohio State University, the Summer Academy is funded by the Ohio Board of Regents and the Ralph Regula School of Computational Science.

Young Women's Summer Institute

YWSI, July 27 to Aug. 2, helps girls develop a deeper interest in computer, math, and science by solving a practical, interesting scientific problem. During a field trip, students view environmental impacts and measure water quality at an area river, then use the latest computer technology analyze and evaluate river pollution. Participants also meet and talk with prominent women about their roles in math, engineering and science fields.

During the week-long residential program, students attend activities at the Ohio Supercomputer Center and stay in residence halls on The Ohio State University campus. Students selected for the camp attend tuition-free; however, they are responsible for housing and meal costs. Scholarships are available.

Girls who are currently in Grade 6 or Grade 7 are encouraged to apply, as well as K-12 science teachers. Application deadline is April 15. For an application or more information, go to www.ywsi.org, call (614) 688-4101, or e-mail ywsicontact@osc.edu.

Summer Institute

In its 20th year, SI helps high school students use supercomputers to solve practical, yet complex, science and engineering problems, such as tracking hackers with network forensics, studying the spread of bird flue or designing computer games. SI runs from July 6-19, 2008.

During the two-week residential program, students attend activities at the Ohio Supercomputer Center and stay in residence halls on The Ohio State University campus. Students selected for the camp attend tuition-free; however, they are responsible for housing and meal costs. Scholarships are available.

High school freshman and sophomores who meet the Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-15 criteria for gifted students are eligible to apply, as well as high school math and science teachers. Programming experience is not necessary. Application deadline is April 11.

For more information or an application, go to www.osc.edu/si, e-mail si-contact@osc.edu, or call (614) 292-0890.

Celebrating 20 years of service, the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is a catalytic partner of Ohio universities and industries that provides a reliable high performance computing and high performance networking infrastructure for a diverse statewide/regional community including education, academic research, industry, and state government. OSC promotes and stimulates computational research and education in order to act as a key enabler for the state's aspirations in advanced technology, information systems, and advanced industries. For additional information, visit http://www.osc.edu.

The Ralph Regula School of Computational Science is a statewide, virtual school focused on computational science. It is a collaborative effort of the Ohio Board of Regents, Ohio Supercomputer Center, Ohio Learning Network and Ohio's colleges and universities. The school acts as a coordinating entity for a variety of computational science education activities aimed at making education in computational science available to students across Ohio, as well as to workers seeking continuing education about this technology.