Youth Programs

Picture of students in Young Scholars program.Young Scholars

Students entering grades 5-9

Would you like to have a unique summer experience on a university campus? Are you curious, motivated and someone who likes to try new things?

Then Young Scholars is for you!

In this week long program you will be working in real college classrooms and laboratories, interacting with university instructors and having fun with other students your age.

Picture of student on climbing wall at Young Scholars.You will be challenged to grow personally and academically by:

  • Engaging in hands-on learning experiences
  • Thinking creatively to solve problems
  • Experimenting with ways of accessing, interpreting and applying knowledge that are unique to a wide variety of subjects, from the arts to the sciences.

Robotics * Creative Writing * TV Production * Exercise & Sport Science

July 13-17, 2009
UW-La Crosse
$215 full-day students, includes lunch each day
$125 half-day students
Additional $5 supply fee for “Robotics” and “Mixed Media Painting”
Additional $10 supply fee for the “Climbing Wall”

2009 Workshops:

AMAZING BODY - Melissa Sprain, M.S., Exercise & Sports Science
What do Olympic coaches, doctors, and your physical education teachers all have in common? They all must have a good understanding of how the human body works to help their athletes, patients or you to be successful! This class will explore a wide variety of topics pertaining to the human body: why your muscles get stronger when you lift weights, how food is used in the body for energy during activity and sport performance, how your heart and lungs work, and how you can train the brain for better academic and sport performance. You will participate in many hands on, exciting learning activities.

AMAZING CHEMISTRY— IT’S ALL IN THE SUPERSTORE - Sandra Koster, Ph.D., Chemistry
Use chemical and physical principles and experiments to explore the amazing properties of items you might find in your home or the local “Superstore.” What are the colors that are in the thin candy shells of M&M’s®? Is green made of yellow and blue? Is orange made of red and yellow? Is the green on an M&M® the same green that is in leaves? And is the brown on the outside the natural color of the chocolate on the inside? What’s the gas formed when you burp after eating a Tums®? Have you ever seen hydrogen peroxide bubble when you put it on a cut? Is that the same gas? These are just a few of the questions we’ll work out as we carry out our experiments.

CLIMBING WALL - UW-L Adventure Program Staff
Experience risk-taking and physical and emotional challenges in a safe, supportive environment. The first day is spent learning group decision-making and problem solving skills, which are key as you test your mental and physical abilities on the indoor climbing wall. Days two through five will be climbing the wall. Parental waiver required. An additional $10 equipment fee required. FUN WITH PHYSICS Robert Ragan, Ph.D., Physics Explore the fascinating world of physics! Mechanics, fluid dynamics, electricity magnetism, optics and atomic physics are investigated. Included are many hands-on experiments and demonstrations involving the laws of motion, byoyancy, circuits, optics and lasers.

HIDDEN MESSAGES AND MEDIA SMARTS— UNRAVELING REAL MEANING IN MEDIA - Margarita Refugia Olivas, Ph.D, Communication Studies
Movie, TV, and Internet messages are constant in our society. Every movie, TV commercial, video game, Internet spaces and song provide more than entertainment; they serve up hidden messages . . . which children and, often parents are unaware of: what’s cool — what's not, and unrealistic images of males, females and minorities that often lead to unhealthy body images and unhealthy behaviors. Want to get smart about the hidden messages that are part of everyday life, want to learn to be a critical thinker — then this workshop is for you. Explore the world of images and ideas that come to us through these means and get the tools you need to be savvy consumers of information: learn how to unravel the real meaning in media.

Picture of student using computer at Young Scholars program.MAKING YOUR HOME ON THE WEB - Saundra Solum, M.S., Information Technology
Do you have a favorite hobby, a favorite pet, or a favorite vacation? Come and learn how to create a web page showcasing your favorite collection. Please bring digital photos on a CD to have the option to create a photo story. Other new technologies will also be learned. Upon completion of this workshop, your web will be viewable on the Internet for your family and friends to see.

MIXED MEDIA PAINTING - Linda Steine, M.S., Continuing Education in the Arts
Create a mixed media painting on canvas using a variety of media, including acrylic paint, rice papers and found objects along with items from the natural world. This project requires students to design their painting through observation and imagination. Techniques include the use of a toned ground, limited color palette and application of non-traditional media to canvas. An additional $5 supply fee required.

MYSTERIOUS MICROBES - Bernadette Taylor-Winfrey, Ph.D., Microbiology
Did you know that the human body contains more bacteria than human cells? Can you imagine how smelly and messy the world would be if we didn't have microbes to clean up for us? Did you know that we use microbes to make a lot of the food we eat, while other microbes spoil our food? Microbes are the culprits of many diseases, yet we use some of them to make medicines that can cure diseases too. In this workshop you will enter the world of mysterious microbes. You will learn how to make these invisible microbes become visible to the human eye. You will also explore microbes and food and microbes and disease through hands on experiments in the microbiology laboratory.

ROBOTICS - Kenny Hunt, Ph.D., Computer Science
Explore the fascinating world of engineering as you construct and program robots using LEGO Mindstorms kits! Student teams will build and program intelligent robots to perform a variety of tasks. The robots will use sophisticated electronics to sense their environment and then apply logical rules to determine what they should do next. Students will be introduced to many different fields of engineering while creating real-world solutions to interesting problems. Uses two session choices. An additional $5 supply fee is required.

TV PRODUCTION - Patricia Turner, Ph.D., Communication Studies
Learn how to operate a studio camera, a studio switcher, the proper use of a studio teleprompter and editing equipment, set up and operate the appropriate lighting and audio equipment, direct a studio production and understand the technical terms used during studio production. Participants are introduced to the skills needed to produce TV programs for the air.

General Information

Program Instructors and Location:

Programs are taught by UW-La Crosse faculty and staff and are held on campus, in classroom and/or laboratories, unless otherwise indicated.

Scholarships:

Scholarships are available for financially disadvantaged students. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. Scholarship applications will be accepted through April 17 or until scholarship funds have been depleted.

Registration Deadlines & Cancellation:

Registrations will be accepted up to two weeks prior to the beginning of each program or until enrollment is reached. Full refunds will be given (less $25 processing fee) if cancellations are made in writing prior to May 29, 2009.

Insurance:

Participants are encouraged to have their own health insurance as limited accident insurance is provided by UW-La Crosse.

For more Information: Karen Langaard, 608.785.6508 or langaard.kare@uwlax.edu

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Printable Registration Form (1 page PDF)

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