Students of all ages and teachers from New Jersey and beyond will be engaged in a summer of learning on the Princeton campus, taking part in outreach programs on subjects ranging from fusion energy to playwriting.
Princeton students, faculty and staff will lead various programs designed to help elementary, secondary and college students build their academic skills and provide cutting-edge lessons that teachers can take back to their own classrooms.
The outreach programs are part of a busy summer on campus. Princeton's athletics department sponsors dozens of sports camps; the University runs a summer day camp; and the Office of Conference and Event Services works with numerous outside organizations that use campus facilities for educational programs and other activities.
The following list offers a look at some of the University's educational outreach programs taking place this summer. Deadlines for registering for this year's programs have passed, but anyone interested in participating in future programs should consult the links and contacts listed below; some programs are restricted to participants from particular schools, organizations or geographic areas. Reporters interested in covering any programs should contact University Spokesperson Emily Aronson in the Office of Communications at earonson@princeton.edu or (609) 258-5733.
Community House
Contact: Marjorie Young, (609) 258-6136, may@princeton.edu
Summer Explorations in Writing and Science, July 16-30
A collaboration with the Princeton Center for Complex Materials, this program will provide area middle school students with a chance to improve their writing skills and to learn about sustainability with hands-on science activities. Morning sessions at Community House, at 58 Prospect Ave., will focus on writing, while afternoon sessions in Bowen Hall will focus on science.
Graduate School
Contact: Karen Jackson-Weaver, (609) 258-3257, kjweaver@princeton.edu; Elaine Willey, (609) 258-3033, ewilley@princeton.edu
Princeton Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (PSURE), June 14-Aug. 6
This program is designed for undergraduates who have completed their sophomore or junior years and who express a serious interest in pursuing a Ph.D. and following a career in college or university teaching and research. It is intended to prepare students to make competitive applications to research doctoral programs. Students may work in any of Princeton's academic departments or programs. Undergraduates who are underrepresented minorities, who are from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds or who are from liberal arts colleges are especially encouraged to apply. Students receive a stipend and a travel allowance.
James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions
Contact: Bradford Wilson, (609) 258-6333, bpwilson@princeton.edu
James Madison Seminar on Teaching American History, July 12-16
The James Madison Program is hosting a five-day seminar for middle and high school teachers of American history. The teachers, who this year all come from New Jersey public schools, participate in the seminar each summer for three years, covering a range of topics on American constitutional history. The seminars are led by scholars from around the country, including Princeton faculty. They are co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Association of Scholars, and are part of a nationwide effort funded by the federal Teaching American History Grant Program.
Mathematics
Contact: Scott Kenney, (609) 258-4202, skenney@princeton.edu; swim2010@math.princeton.edu
Summer Workshop in Mathematics, June 16-25
This workshop is intended for female rising high school seniors interested in mathematics. Participants in the workshop will attend two mathematical courses and in the afternoon will work in groups on an exploration topic related to a course of their choice. Throughout the workshop, students will meet undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty of the Department of Mathematics.
In addition to the mathematical activities, various other events are planned. Attendees will participate in the "Women in Science" seminar every afternoon, organized jointly with the Program for Women and Mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study. They also will hear a panel discussion by Princeton undergraduates on applying to college and take a mathematics-themed tour of campus.
Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE)
Contact: Roxanne Zellin, (609) 258-7922, rzellin@princeton.edu
Summer Research Opportunities, June-August
The Engineering Research Center for Mid-Infrared Technologies for Health and the Environment (MIRTHE) will host about 40 undergraduate students at Princeton and its five partner institutions for nine weeks of research and education. The students will participate in original, hands-on research projects and attend short courses and lectures that explore the challenges of hardware, software and systems engineering of trace chemical sensors. The center's research could yield important new technology related to health, homeland security and especially the environment. Students also visit nearby government and industrial labs. The undergraduate students hail from about 20 colleges and universities across the nation, including Princeton.
In addition to the college students, more than 10 high school students will work in MIRTHE labs at Princeton and other universities, as well as five high school teachers.
The participating MIRTHE institutions are Princeton University, Rice University, City College of New York, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, Texas A&M University and Johns Hopkins University. The students at the sites in Maryland, Texas, New York and Princeton will meet with the entire MIRTHE community in the final week for the annual MIRTHE Summer Workshop. The workshop will take place Aug. 1-6 at Rice University in Houston, with a visit to Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.
Molecular Biology
Summer Undergraduate Research Program, June 14-Aug. 13
Contact: Alison Gammie, (609) 258-6380, agammie@princeton.edu
Each summer, the Department of Molecular Biology, the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute provide intensive laboratory research experiences to a select group of undergraduates chosen from a nationwide pool. Each student joins a world-class research group -- headed by a Princeton faculty member -- and carries out an original research project. Participants are immersed in a culture of close collaboration with other undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and faculty, and thereby experience firsthand what it is like to be a scientist. More than 70 percent of former participants have since pursued degrees in Ph.D., M.D. or combined M.D./Ph.D. programs.
Outreach Program Summer Workshop for Secondary School Science Teachers
Molecular Biology Hands-On: Cool Genes, Colorful Proteins, July 11-23
Contact: Ann Sliski, (609) 258-2075, asliski@princeton.edu
The 2010 Department of Molecular Biology Outreach Program Summer Workshop for secondary school science teachers will consist of a two-week summer workshop for 20 teachers where every day features a stimulating mix of laboratory projects and discussions with colleagues and Princeton faculty. The goal is to help prepare teachers to bring cutting-edge biotechnology into their classrooms.
The workshop will feature an experiment using a rainbow of fluorescent proteins from Roger Tsien's BioBridge program at the University of California-San Diego. Tsien was a co-winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
In the program, teachers also will: isolate their own DNA and, using the polymerase chain reaction, perform DNA fingerprinting analyses; test snack foods for evidence of genetic modification; use bioinformatics to analyze their mitochondrial DNA; participate in lunchtime research seminars and discussions led by Princeton faculty; and develop curricula for their classrooms. The program is funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Office of the Vice President for Campus Life
Contact: Samantha Pergadia, (609) 258-8046, pergadia@princeton.edu
Princeton University Summer Journalism Program, July 30-Aug. 9
Princeton alumni will lead journalism workshops for 23 students from low-income backgrounds who are entering their senior years of high school. The students -- selected from an applicant pool of approximately 275 -- will practice reporting and writing articles, including covering a professional sports event, and produce a 12-page newspaper and a television documentary. They will visit The New York Times and ABC News offices and receive advice from guest speakers from a number of major media outlets. They also will receive guidance on applying to college. This is the ninth summer the program is being offered.
Program in Teacher Preparation
Contact: Jason Klugman, (609) 258-3337, jklugman@princeton.edu
Princeton University Preparatory Program (PUPP), June 24-Aug. 6
This intensive, three-year college preparation program supports a select group of academically gifted high school students from low-income families who attend partner schools in Mercer County. The goal of PUPP is to prepare students to be viable candidates for admission to and success at selective colleges and universities. Students take courses in art, writing, literature, math, physics, biology, social science and college-preparation skills, while also attending a leadership retreat at the Princeton-Blairstown Center, going on college tours and taking cultural excursions.
Physics
Contact: Helen Ju, (609) 258-5822, helenju@princeton.edu
Gran Sasso-South Dakota-Princeton Physics Summer School, July 17-Aug. 7
This program stems from the scientific collaboration between the physics department at Princeton and the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) in Italy, where Princeton scientists conduct research on neutrinos and dark matter. In its seventh year, the program is open to students enrolled in the fourth and fifth year of high schools located in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Its sponsors include Princeton, LNGS and the South Dakota Department of Education.
At least 20 students have been selected on a competitive basis. The activities in Princeton will range from physics and astrophysics courses to English language instruction. The program also will involve 10 students from South Dakota who are recipients of the Davis-Bahcall Scholarships, provided by 3M, which cover their expenses for the program. Prior to arriving in Princeton, the Davis-Bahcall Scholars will be visiting and attending lectures for a week at the Sanford Underground Lab at Homestake in Lead, S.D., a former goldmine where scientists studied solar neutrinos and plan on staging dark matter experiments. Finishing there, the students will fly to Geneva and spend a brief period at the European Organization for Nuclear Research called CERN, as well as LNGS before joining the other students in Princeton.
Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials
Princeton Center for Complex Materials
Contact: Dan Steinberg, (609) 258-5598, dsteinbe@princeton.edu
PCCM/Leadership Development Institute, May-August
The Princeton Center for Complex Materials, in partnership with the Washington, D.C.-based Quality Education for Minorities Network, is hosting three young faculty from historically black colleges and universities through the Leadership Development Institute funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The goal of the project is to enhance the leadership and research capabilities of science, technology, engineering and math junior faculty at these institutions and to build a community of emerging leaders in these fields at historically black institutions. Princeton professors Winston Soboyejo, Robert Prud’homme and Mikko Haataja are hosting the guest researchers in their labs and collaborating on cutting-edge materials science research.
Research Experience for Undergraduates, June 7-Aug. 6
About 28 college students from around the country will conduct research in the labs of Princeton faculty members, working on cutting-edge problems related to energy production, the environment, human health and other societal issues. Their work will be funded primarily by the National Science Foundation through major projects, including the Princeton Center for Complex Materials and NSF's Partnership for Research and Education in Materials.
Partners in Science, June-August
In collaboration with the Jersey City-based Liberty Science Center, faculty members and graduate students in the Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials will serve as mentors to high school students working as researchers in their labs. The program will culminate in a symposium during which the students will present their work.
PCCM/ACS-SEED Research Experience for High School Students, June-August
Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Rodney Priestley will mentor two high school students in summer research in chemistry. The students, both of whom previously participated in the Princeton University Materials Academy science and engineering summer program, will work with Priestley on cutting-edge materials science and chemistry-related polymer research projects. The program is funded by the National Science Foundation through the Princeton Center for Complex Materials and the American Chemical Society SEED project.
Research Experience for Teachers, June-August
Two teachers from New Jersey high schools will work in the labs of Princeton researchers to gain insight into current research. They will study new materials for alternative energy and ways to enhance materials science and engineering education in K-12 schools. In the next academic year, they will share their experiences, incorporating these concepts into their curricula.
Princeton University Materials Academy, July 6-23
Twenty high school students from Trenton will be on campus to interact with Princeton faculty and students and learn about materials science and solar energy research. Among other projects, the students will work on ceramic water filters that could improve the quality of life and environmental conditions in parts of Africa.
Princeton University Materials Academy for Middle School, July 19-30
Twelve middle school students will participate in a program that focuses on materials science and energy sustainability. The program is dedicated to narrowing the academic achievement gap across racial and ethnic groups and is supported by the National Science Foundation -- through Princeton's Center for Complex Materials -- and the University's Community House service organization.
Summer Program for High School Students, July 26-30
About 20 students from Middlesex High School in New Jersey will spend mornings on campus, visiting labs, hearing talks and participating in hands-on projects. Their work on materials science will serve as an introduction to a yearlong materials science and engineering course taught at their school. The program is organized by the Princeton Center for Complex Materials.
Summer School for Condensed Matter Physics, Aug. 2-5
About 75 students, mostly graduate students, from around the world will come to Princeton to attend lectures and workshops in physics and materials science led by prominent researchers from Princeton, Brookhaven National Labs, Alcatel-Lucent and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The program is organized by Princeton graduate students and sponsored by the Princeton Center for Complex Materials and the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science.
Materials Camp for Teachers, Aug. 9-13
Thirty high school teachers from New Jersey and other states will spend a week on campus participating in hands-on demonstrations of materials science labs and coursework that they can implement in their schools. Now in its sixth year, the camp has resulted in several schools adopting materials science programs as a way of integrating physics, chemistry and mathematics into the curriculum. The project is supported through a partnership with the independent ASM Materials Education Foundation and the Princeton Center for Complex Materials.
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL)
Contact: Patti Wieser, (609) 243-2757, pwieser@pppl.gov
Research Experience for Undergraduates, June 7-Aug. 13
A total of 47 undergraduate students from across the country will spend 10 weeks working with PPPL scientists, participating in current research projects.
High School Research Internship, June 28-Aug. 13
This seven-week program provides a mentored research experience on independent laboratory work in plasma physics for 13 high school students from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
U.S. Department of Energy Academy Creating Teacher Scientists Program (ACTS), June 28-Aug. 13
This seven-week program provides mentored research experience for high school and middle school teachers. Participants are placed in a particular research project based on academic preparation, teaching assignments, experiences and interests. Research opportunities include physics, engineering, electronics, computer science and environmental science projects. Participants will work with PPPL scientists, engineers and master teachers. At the end of the summer, teachers can apply for $2,000 minigrants for classroom supplies that support curricula developed based on the research experience. Funding to provide professional development to other teachers at regional and national conferences also is available. The ACTS program is a three-year commitment.
Plasma Camp, July 26-30
About a dozen science teachers from local middle schools, as well as high schools across the nation, will work in PPPL's Plasma Science Education Laboratory to study plasma physics and fusion energy and create new curricula based upon the workshop.
Princeton Summer Theater
Contact: Maggie Tominey, (609) 258-7062, maggie.tominey@gmail.com
Children's Workshops, half-days on Fridays, July 2-Aug. 6
The summer stock company of young professionals and students from Princeton and other colleges offers weekly workshops for children ages 5-12, introducing them to theater on stage and behind the scenes. This summer's workshops are on movement and dance; improv comedy and theater; mask and costume; playwriting; lights, set and sound; and voice and impersonation.
QUEST
Contact: Anne Catena, (609) 258-2537, acatena@princeton.edu
QUEST Summer Institute, July 12-23
QUEST is a two-week summer institute in science for teachers of grades 3-8. It is designed to enhance teachers' content knowledge and skills for inquiry-based teaching through hands-on experiments and discussion. This summer's professional development topics will be: "Geohazards and Plate Tectonics"; "Life and Chemistry in the Ocean"; "Weather and Climate"; and "Energy in the 21st Century."
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Contact: Melissa Lyles, (609) 258-4809, melissa@princeton.edu
Junior Summer Institute, June 10-July 30
Thirty-six students from colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad will participate in the Woodrow Wilson School's 2010 Junior Summer Institute. The program helps prepare students for graduate study and careers in public policy and international affairs by providing participants with the tools of critical thinking, speaking, writing and quantitative reasoning, and the skills and experiences necessary to create, analyze, implement, evaluate and affect policy in a multicultural, multi-ethnic society.
Coursework includes seven weeks of policy-related classroom instruction, including a policy workshop on either a domestic or international policy issue. As part of the program's culmination, students will present a comprehensive final report on a current policy issue that will encompass the skills acquired and the knowledge base gained. The institute is one of five held at U.S. universities through the Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship Program, a national consortium of top public policy and international affairs graduate schools that prepare college students for advanced degrees and careers serving the public good.
Santa Fe Indian School Leadership Institute’s Summer Policy Academy, June 21-25
This program provides high school Native Americans the opportunity to explore the current challenges and issues facing Native Americans and to examine how federal policies impact tribal communities. Each year students are nominated to participate in the program by teachers, community leaders, professionals and tribal leaders. This year's participants come from the Pueblo, Navajo, Jicarilla Apache and Mescalero Apache nations of New Mexico.
Through roundtable discussions, case studies and presentations by Native American leaders and noted scholars, students will examine: Native American policymaking on the federal level and the current political climate; Native American education and the role of language and culture in education; indigenous research and policy implications; protection of natural resources and water rights; sacred sites protection policies; and economic development. The week will culminate in Washington, D.C., where students will present their findings and policy recommendations to the National Congress of American Indians.