Youth Programs

Young Scholars @ UW-L | Students entering grades 5-9

July 8-12, 2013

Course assignments are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

FULL DAY REGISTRATION
(includes four courses, lunches, tote bag):
$215, Early Bird Fee on/before May 6, 2013
$240, after May 6, 2013

HALF DAY REGISTRATION
(Morning or Afternoon; includes two courses, tote bag)
$125, Early Bird Fee on/before May 6, 2013
$140, after May 6, 2013

Young Scholars week-long program promotes learning through hands-on activities in areas from the arts to the sciences. Youth work alongside UW-L faculty and experts in various fields who invite experimentation, investigation and involvement. Young Scholars offers flexible times to fit into your summer schedule — choose from a full-day or half-day program. Have fun while learning!

or Printable Registration Form (1 page PDF)

2013 Young Scholars Schedule

8-8:30 a.m.	Arrival, Registration & Welcome
8:30-10 a.m.	Course 1
10:15-11:45 a.m.	Course 2
12-12:30 p.m.	Lunch & Arrival/Departure of Half-day students
12:30-2 p.m.	Course 3
2:15-3:45 p.m.	Course 4

2013 Program Descriptions

Amazing Chemistry – It’s All Around Us
Explore the chemistry of everyday items and processes that affect us. Look at the pigments in leaves and see if they can be separated them from one another. Are they the same as those in food coloring and can we separate them the same way? Which work better to color cloth? Generate gas using hydrogen peroxide and yeast and see if that makes as much gas as mixing vinegar and baking soda. Which procedure makes a better "volcano"? How is the "volcano reaction" related to the gas formed when you burp after eating a Tums®? These are just a few of the questions we’ll work out as we do our chemistry. What are you curious about? Bring your ideas the first day and maybe we can do an experiment to explore them by the end of the week.
Sandra Koster, Ph.D., Chemistry

Astronomy
For each of the classes below, we will view the sun and sunspots through a telescope with a solar filter.
Solar System Astronomy (A=Students entering grades 5, 6)
Take a new look at our solar system. Use scale models, visit the planetarium, set up telescopes and launch model rockets.
Stellar Astronomy (B=Students entering grades 7, 8, 9)
Learn the nature of stars and the sun. Use scale models to show distances between stars and visit the planetarium.
Robert Allen, Ph.D., Faculty Emeritus, Physics
James Konichek, physics teacher, La Crosse School District

Fun with Physics
Explore the fascinating world of physics such as mechanics, fluid dynamics, electricity magnetism, optics and atomic physics. Participate in hands-on experiments and demonstrations involving the laws of motion, buoyancy, circuits, optics and lasers.
Seth King, Ph.D., Physics

Machinery of Life
Through hands-on exploration discover life at the nanoscale (a billionth of a meter!). Explore models of membranes, proteins and DNA, with our hands and other times with computers. Extract DNA from vegetables and pull the proteins out of milk. Get a good feel for its long, stringy structure. Finally, we’ll use microscopy to get a glimpse inside a cell to see life’s building blocks hard at work.
Jennifer Klein, Ph.D., Biology

Money Matters
Learn the essential concepts of personal financial management including the difference between wants and needs, budgeting and savings. Through activities such as The Money Gamer, we’ll empower you with information and skills needed to create a financially successful and responsible life.
William Colclough, Ph.D., Finance

Mysterious Microbes
A microbe is an organism that is usually too small to be seen. Enter the world of mysterious microbes and learn how to make microbes become visible to the human eye. Explore microbes and food, and microbes and disease through hands on experiments in the microbiology laboratory.
Marisa Barbknecht, M.S., Microbiology

What Does "Random" Mean?
Examine how mathematics, specifically probability theory, can help us understand the seemingly unexpected and unpredictable behavior of things like coin flips, random walks, lotteries and particle movement. Discover how one incorporates randomness into the study of biological populations in seemingly randomly varying environments.
Eric Eager, Ph.D., Mathematical Biology

What’s in your 'Hood'?
Have you ever "pet" a skunk? wolf? coyote? owl? rattle snake? … eaten a stinging nettle or dandelion? … held a live snake? …dissected the regurgitation/vomit of an owl? … searched for "your" baby bat in a cave? Learn about the wonder of nature around you.
Scott Lee, Environmental Studies

General Information

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 30, 2013.

Scholarships: Scholarships are available for financially disadvantaged students. Funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. 2013 Scholarship application will be accepted until scholarship funds have been depleted. A minimum payment of 15% is due at time of registration.

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

For questions and/or more Information: Karen DeSchepper, 608.785.6508 or kdeschepper@uwlax.edu