May 12, 2008

Summer camps offer new ways to turn kids on to technology

The first camp, called TOTAL (Turned on to Technology and Leadership), is for seventh- and eighth-graders and will be June 8-12. It is targeted toward a multicultural audience but is open to any student in those grades, said Antonia Munguia, director of diversity for the College of Technology.

A second camp, TEAM (Technology Expanding All Minds), will be June 22-26. The target audience is young women in eighth and ninth grades. Activities will relate to technology in ways that will be of particular interest to teen girls.

Another camp, also taking place June 22-26, is called Cheering in the Classroom. It is for middle school and high school students who have an interest in cheerleading or dance. It is directed toward girls, but is open to any student who is an incoming seventh-grader to a high school senior. Participants need no background in technology, but should have an interest in learning more about the subject through hands-on activities.

Munguia said the goal of the camps is to help students - especially females and members of minority groups - learn what technology is about, what types of careers offered and the academic preparation needed to pursue the jobs of their choice.

"Most of the students who participate in these programs come in without any background in technology, but by the end of the week, we notice they are definitely more enthusiastic and knowledgeable," she said. "Since these camps have been offered only a few years, it's too early to tell if that interest leads them to pursue technology in college, but we're hopeful that it will have a big impact on their decision."

All the camps will be residential, giving students the opportunity to experience life on campus by staying in a residence hall.

At each of the camps, students will attend sessions that focus on hands-on activities led by Purdue faculty and graduate students from departments in the College of Technology. Each camp also will feature a presentation by Purdue admissions officials.

At the TOTAL camp, activities will include sessions on graphic design, creating computer games, manufacturing processes and automation, a visit to the Purdue Airport, and a session on creative construction. Participants also will tour the Envision Center and receive an admissions presentation. A visit to the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant will show participants technology processes and a finished product.

In the TEAM camp, participants will explore electronic toys and learn about digital electronics, use models in a Lego-building exercise, learn about creating their own computer world, attend team-building exercises with faculty from the organizational leadership and supervision department, and tour the Purdue Airport. Also, representatives from John Deere, one of the sponsors of the camp, will demonstrate how automatic steering systems work.

For the second year, Christi Jacobs, who was a Purdue cheerleader for four years and captain of the squad her senior year, is in charge of Cheering in the Classroom. Activities will include programming a 2-foot-tall robot to perform a choreographed dance, an activity at Purdue's Envision Center that will utilize motion-capture technology commonly used in video games and a session on aviation technology.

Additional information about Cheering in the Classroom can be found at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008a/080512JacobsCheer.html

To register for the TOTAL camp, download a registration form at http://www.tech.purdue.edu/Student_Life/diversity/
TOTALSummerCamp.cfm . A registration form for the TEAM camp can be found at http://www.tech.purdue.edu/Student_Life/diversity/
TEAMSummerCamp.cfm .

For questions about TOTAL or TEAM registration, contact Lindsay Roberts at Purdue Conferences at (765) 494-1898 or begleyl@purdue.edu. For questions about camp content, contact Susan Martinez Manahan, (765) 494-2331 or manahan@purdue.edu.

To register for the Cheering in the Classroom camp, go online to http://www.tech.purdue.edu/student_life/diversity/
cheering_in_the_classroom.cfm, fill out the registration and medical forms, and return them to the address provided. Contact Christi Jacobs at (847) 533-4945 or cjacobs@purdue.edu for questions about the camp.

The College of Technology also will co-sponsor with Girl Scouts another camp, TAGS (Technology Advances Girl Scouts), which will have two sessions this summer. The first camp, which is for students in sixth-, seventh-  and eighth-graders, will be July 7-10. The second session, for those in grades 9-11, will be July 28-31. The goal is to help girls become familiar and comfortable with technology, and is a residential camp held on the Purdue campus. The TAGS camps are open only to Girl Scouts members. Contact Manahan for more information about registration.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Antonia Munguia, (765) 494-7522, amunguia@purdue.edu

Christi Jacobs, (847) 533-4945, cjacobs@purdue.edu

Susan Martinez Manahan, (765) 494-2331 or manahan@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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