College Offers 2016 Summer Science Camps for K-12 Students
Departments and research centers in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) at the University of Maryland are hosting several summer camps in 2016. Below are the details.
The Amazing Science Discovery Camp: For Rising 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders
Dates: August 1-5, 2016
The Amazing Science Discovery Camp is a one-week summer camp for students with an interest in exploring the physical world. Each camp day is filled with exciting experiments, interesting lessons, educational demonstrations and much more. Camp activities engage students in developing curiosity, building knowledge, and increasing their appreciation of STEM fields in their daily lives and future careers. For more information, visit http://umdphysics.umd.edu/events/aboutus-outreach/science-discovery-camp.html.
Insect Summer Camp:
Session I: For Kids Ages 7-9
Dates: July 18–22, 2016
Session II: For Kids Ages 10-12
Dates: July 25-29, 2016
Through a variety of hands-on activities and interactive field trips, “Bug Camp: Insects, Science & Society” will teach kids how amazing and valuable bugs truly are. Campers will gain experience with science in the field and the lab, and will come away with an understanding of the important relationship between humans and insects. For more information, visit http://entomology.umd.edu/insect-camp.html.
Physics of Quidditch Summer Camp:
Session I: For Rising 6th, 7th and 8th Graders:
Dates: July 18–22, 2016
Session II: For Rising 9th, 10th, 11th Graders:
Dates: July 25–29, 2016
This innovative program combines physics, sport and literature of the Harry Potter novels. Throughout the week spent immersed in fun and physical activities, participants gain skills in physics, critical thinking, teamwork, playing the sport of quidditch and an appreciation for the literature that inspired the sport. Daily activities include lab experiments in the context of the sport, introduction to applicable physics concepts in mechanics, drills that apply the concepts the sport and quidditch scrimmages. Throughout the week of the camp, participants develop teams sorted into two “houses” in preparation for the final tournament. The tournament consists of a luncheon for participants and parents, student poster session and the championship game between the two houses. For more information, visit http://umdphysics.umd.edu/events/aboutus-outreach/outreach-physics-quidditch.html.
CyberSTEM Camp: For Rising 7th and 8th Grade Girls
Dates: July 18–22, 2016
This five-day experience provides hands-on activities focused on STEM and cybersecurity topics. Attendees will learn and apply basic concepts of programming, forensics, cryptography and program management from a series of gaming, modeling and simulation activities, which explore the interconnections of science, math, technology and computers. For more information, visit http://cyber.umd.edu/education/cyber-stem.
Computer Science Connect (CompSciConnect): For Rising 7th and 8th Graders
Session 1: June 27-July 8, 2016 [Red & Terp]
Session 2: August 1-12, 2016 [Red & Yellow]
CompSciConnect is a three-year summer camp (Yellow, Red and Terp groups) that typically begins with rising 7th graders joining the Yellow group. Each summer, students learn more advanced skills and also meet once a month throughout the school year to maintain those skills. Through the three years, students do block programming with scratch and Lego robots (Yellow), Web programming with HTML, CSS and Javascript (Red), and Python and Unity 3D programming (Terp), along with cybersecurity/safety, cryptology, number bases, logic and computer usage skills. Through the three years we emphasize how these connect both to other areas of study and to making the world a better place. For more information, visit http://www.cs.umd.edu/compsciconnect/about.
Physics Summer Girls: For Rising 9th Graders
Dates: July 11–22, 2016
Morning activities include demonstrations, hands-on laboratory experiments and documenting progress in journals. Afternoons are devoted to an ongoing two-week project that teaches participants trial and error and the principles of the scientific method. At the end of the two-week program, parents, teachers and siblings are invited to a closing ceremony where Summer Girls present their favorite demonstrations. For more information, visit https://umdphysics.umd.edu/events/summer-programs/advanced-physics-summer-program.html.
Intermediate CyberSTEM Camp: For Rising 9th and 10th Grade Girls
Dates: July 25-29, 2016
This five-day experience provides hands-on activities focused on STEM and cybersecurity topics. Attendees will learn and apply basic concepts of programming, computer forensics, cryptography, steganography, system vulnerabilities and program management from a series of gaming, modeling, simulation activities and hands-on exercises, which explore the interconnections of science, math, technology, and computers. Participants did NOT need to attend our middle school camp in order to be eligible. This camp covers similar content areas as the CyberSTEM camp for rising 7th and 8th graders, and allows for a deeper and more in-depth exploration of the subject matter. For more information, visit http://cyber.umd.edu/education/intermediate-cyber-stem.
Young Scholars Program: For Rising 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th Graders
Dates: July 10–29, 2016
Young Scholars take one three-credit UMD introductory course and can live on campus or commute from home. For three weeks, young scholars will attend class, enjoy field trips or guest speakers, study, work on projects and prepare for exams. They will also participate in seminars, workshops and social activities where they will meet, live and study with other talented high school students from around the U.S. and the world in many of the same world-class facilities used by UMD's full-time college students. CMNS will be offering two courses during summer 2016: environmental biology and computer science: a hands off approach. For more information, visit https://exst.umd.edu/pre-college-programs/terp-young-scholars?gad_source=1
Physics Summer Girls - Advanced: For Rising 10th, 11th and 12th Graders
Dates: August 1–12, 2016
While the rising 9th grader program focuses on classical physics, the advanced program jumps into the world of modern physics. Participants will learn about topics ranging from relativity to antimatter, quantum mechanics, physical uncertainty, quantum computing and more. The afternoons will be filled with hands-on lab activities, visits to cutting-edge research labs, discussions with professors who conduct modern physics research and a project to make the discussions of modern topics tangible. Students will be introduced to topics that they will likely not be offered in their high school classes, from the thought experiments of Einstein to current applications in code breaking. For more information, visit http://umdphysics.umd.edu/events/aboutus-outreach/summer-girls.html.
Cyber Defense Training Camp: For Rising 11th and 12th Graders
Dates: July 10–16, 2016
Cyber Defense Training Camp is an intermediate level (some technical experience is required) seven-day residential summer program for male and female students. Students will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge of cybersecurity and gain practical skills through instruction by an experienced security professional, while living on the UMD campus. Students learn about career options in the field, take at least one field trip and hear from a variety of speakers to learn more about how to prepare to enter this exciting profession. For more information, visit http://cyber.umd.edu/education/cyber-defense.
Media Relations Contact: Abby Robinson, 301-405-5845, abbyr@umd.edu
University of Maryland
College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
2300 Symons Hall
College Park, MD 20742
www.cmns.umd.edu
@UMDscience
About the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences
The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland educates more than 7,000 future scientific leaders in its undergraduate and graduate programs each year. The college's 10 departments and more than a dozen interdisciplinary research centers foster scientific discovery with annual sponsored research funding exceeding $150 million.