The Triangle

Issue date: 7/22/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Shyunti Das

Drexel University colleges and schools are hosting a wide variety of summer programs for high school students and undergraduates, which will expose them to the University's resources, equipment, faculty and staff.

Many colleges and schools including the College of Engineering, College of Media Arts and Design, College of Medicine, LeBow College of Business, Pennoni Honors College and College of Arts and Sciences, among others, are hosting summer academic programs geared toward high school students who will potentially be college applicants within the next two years.

Students are selected for the summer programs based on the application requirements. Included in the application is an official high school transcript, one letter of recommendation and a personal statement expressing the student's interest in the program. "We look at their grades, their character through the recommendation and their ability to express themselves in writing," Assistant Director of Recruitment for CoMAD Tia McNair said. All students who enter the programs are atleast 16 years old and have already completed their sophomore or junior year of high school.

McNair also commented that most of the programs will have students staying in the residence halls and receive meals from the University dining system.

Pennoni Honors College

PHC through the Center for Civic Engagement is hosting a free SAT and college prep camp for high school students who come from backgrounds where access to such assistances and resources can be limited.

"The purpose of this day camp is to help orient students to college life, rigors, and admissions criteria, and to help them prepare for the new SATs," Dean for Pennoni Honors College Mark Greenberg said.

60 10th, 11th and 12 grade high school students participate in this program which is jointly funded by GEAR UP! and the Drexel/School District of Philadelphia Partnership. The camps ran from June 27 to July 21.

"The students do intense work building their math and verbal skills, improving their technology skill set and learning how to manage the college application process," Greenberg said. "They have also been learning about college life from Drexel undergraduate mentors and spend time in the classroom with them and volunteer to take them to the Franklin Institute." In addition, they will also learn how to write essays, enhance their technology skills and how to prepare for the admission process and demands of a collegiate life.

Each students is interviewd to assess their current skills and dreams. They then receive guidance and attention in building their personal academic plan.

"Our goal is to give these students the tools they need to attend the college of their choice," Director of Civic Engagement Suzanne Rochealu said. "They also learn about Drexel's admission requirements and can plan their high school classes accordingly if they decide Drexel is right for them. Unfortunately, the majority of college-bound students attending SDP comprehensive public high schools do not achieve the SAT scores that would make them admissible at Drexel. It is hoped that as a result of the intensive work in mathematics, verbal skills, writing and SAT prep that is provided, that students will be better prepared in general, and that some of them would be admissible to the university through the Blue/Gold program."

College of Engineering

COE hosts a wide variety of summer programs that expose high school students and teachers, and undergraduate students to develop a better understanding of engineering.

The five programs include Drexel Research Experience in Advanced Materials, Research Experience for Teachers in Areas of Innovation and Novel Technologies, Research Experiences for Teachers in the Area of Nanotechnology, Summer Engineering Experience at Drexel, Summer Mentorship Program and Math and Science Partnership. The programs combined host over 200 high school students, 90 high school teachers and 14 undergraduate students.

DREAM hosts ten undergraduate students who come from colleges and universities around the nation. These students work on projects very closely with faculty members and graduate students in the areas of nanomaterials, biomaterials and in the design and processing of advanced materials. Students also attend seminars, visit industry laboratories, and receive demonstration of advanced research equipment, according to Public Relations and Events Coordinator Ashley Meyers. The program runs from June 13 through August 19.

RETAIN educates local middle and high school mathematics and science teachers in the areas of biotechnology, information technology and nanotechnology. There are currently 20 participants who attend the seminars, work in the research laboratories and visit engineers in the workplace. The program runs from July 11 through August 12.

RET Nano is a joint partnership between Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania that runs in a similar fashion to that of RETAIN. This program hosts 20 individuals who teach mathematics and science for area high school and community college.

SEED is a one-week program that grants high school students the opportunity to meet engineering faculty and current undergraduate and graduate students. Students attend classes, gain practical laboratory experience and visit industry sites. The University hosts six of these programs.

SMP is a two-week program that exposes high school students to the fields of research. This program is geared towards juniors who are interested in pursuing a degree in engineering. Students work in laboratories on research projects with faculty members. SMP runs from July 17 to 31.

MSP is a collaboration between COE, the Franklin Institute and School District of Philadelphia. The program is geared towards middle school science teachers with the aim of providing rich content for their professional development, which is relevant to the District's new science core curriculum.

College of Arts and Sciences and College of Medicine

CoAS in collaboration with CoMed and the Office of Enrollment Management hosted the Summer Medical Institute during the week of July 17.

SMI is a week long residential camp that exposes high school students to the world of medicine. The program combines lectures with a hands-on learning coupled with a medical case that intrigues the students' interests.

"Students will spend the week diagnosing and treating medical conditions, learning about medical ethics, how to talk to patients and work in teams," Director of Graduate Admissions Erin Finn said. "Many have chosen to attend this camp as a way to explore Drexel as a possible choice for college."



Le Bow College of Business

LCoB in collaboration with Commerce Bank is hosting Camp Business-The Learning Journey. It is a two-week long program designed to give high school students a comprehensive introduction to collegiate business education and to also show them that business is fun and exciting.

Classes are conducted at both the University City Main Campus and at the campus of Commerce University in Mt. Laurel, NJ. 100 high school juniors and seniors from southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware are participating in the program this year.

"Students work closely with outstanding LeBow faculty and staff from Commerce University to examine the disciplines of accounting, marketing, finance and management, and learn the core concepts of business including leadership, professional image, etiquette, team building, and strategy," according to the LeBow website. "In addition, they will learn about resources essential to business such as technology, the stock market and The Wall Street Journal."

Students will also interact with and receive career guidance from leading area executives and researchers. In addition, they will learn about the current job, business and economic trends. Lastly, they will also receive a behind-the-scenes look at Commerce Bank. Students will also participate in a business simulation presentation and a stock market challenge game.

Upon completion of the program the University will waive the normal $50 application fee should those students apply for admission. In addition, the University is offering $1,000 scholarships to those who enroll as a full-time undergraduate. Lastly, students will be given an opportunity to work for Commerce Bank.

"I consider Camp Business to be a high ability recruitment initiative whereby we are exposing some of the area's top high school students to a sampling of what LeBow College of Business has to offer them," Director of Enrollment Management for the LeBow College of Business said. "Many of our Camp Business alumni 2002-present have gone on to become students at LeBow."

College of Media Arts and Design

CoMAD offers a wide variety of program for high school students that will offer them an educational, social and cultural experience. The programs also introduces them to college life and help them see what they want to study when it is time to apply to college, according to McNair.

These five programs are taught by many full and part-time faculty members. The summer programs include architecture, design, screenwriting and photography, which last two weeks with students residing on campus. Music industry is a one-week commuter program.

The design program is divided into three disciplines: fashion design, design & merchandising and interior design. Students explore one of the disciplines in an entertaining but challenging format. They attend classes and workshops that are quite similar to the ones offered in the undergraduate program. Students will also take hands-on studio courses, design related computer courses, lectures and field trips. In addition, they will work on a special project that will be exhibited to their family and faculty at the closing ceremonies. Since the music industry program is commuter based students stay in the classroom and therefore, do not participate in field trips.

Students participating in the screenwriting program will attend lectures conducted by CoMAD faculty and staff. They will also use computers for script writing, work on film screenings, acting and film making sessions and engage in field trips.

Students participating in the photography program will be exposed to both traditional and digital photography. They will visit many places in Philadelphia that offer great photo opportunities.

Students in the music industry program will take two to three courses in either digital audio protection, audio engineering, music business, starting a record label and songwriting. Students were able to choose which courses to take on their application for admission into the program.

The residency program began July 10 and will end July 23. The music industry program started July 17 and will end July 23.

During their free time students can use the library, gymnasium, Buckley Green and Field or socialize with their friends in the residence hall. Students can also participate in field trips to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a tour of the Japanese Tea House and Garden in Fairmount Park.

The Department of Athletics provides these students and students from all academic programs a block of time where they can use the facilities and equipment.

Students in this program come mostly from the northeast corridor, however there are some students from Ohio, Florida, South Carolina and Virginia.

The Triangle contacted representatives from the College of Information Science and Technology, Goodwin College of Professional Studies, College of Nursing and Health Professions, School of Education and School of Public Health but did not provide any comments.

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