West Chester University Expect Excellence (WCU Home)
 
 
 
 

Summer Academy for Gifted Children


Summer Academy for Gifted Children

Summer Academy for Gifted Children

Summer Academy for Gifted Children
This is an innovative summer school program for middle school gifted/honors children has week-long classes from late June through mid July. Each course will be taught by a West Chester University faculty member, other college faculty and/or a gifted/honors school teacher from area schools.


Academy Highlights
  • All courses will be offered at West Chester University.
  • A wide range of courses will be offered from the disciplines of Art, Astronomy, Chinese, Computer Science, French, Leadership, and Russian.
  • Courses will be co-taught by a West Chester University faculty, other faculty and/or a teachers experienced with gifted/honors middle school students
  • Gifted/honor students entering 6th, 7th and 8th grades in fall 2008 are eligible. (Note: students must get signature from their teacher on the application form.)
  • Classes are
    • Limited to 15 students
    • Monday to Friday
    • From 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
  • Students will receive a certificate upon completion.

Fees
  • Tuition is $400.00 per course.
  • Registration for courses will begin in February 2008.

Additional Information
  • Students will bring their own lunches and snacks.
  • There will be breaks during the day.
  • Students will be dropped off and picked-up at the same location on campus.
  • Students are allowed to take up to two courses.

More Information and Application Form
  • Application Form
  • For personal questions, please contact Paul Arsenault Ph.D., at parsenault@wcupa.edu or 610-436-2208.  Mailing address is Anderson Hall 312D, West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383.
Course Offerings

Week of June 23 to June 27th

Enrichment Topics in Gifted Math
Instructor: Alicia C. Tamargo, Ed. D.Mathematics, Teacher Kennett High School.

Students will be involved with hands-on math activities using technology to solve problems in non-traditional mathematical topics.

Creative Expressions in Art
Instructors: John Baker, Chair of the West Chester University Art Department and Scott Smeddon, Art Teacher at Henderson High School, West Chester, PA.

The course will investigate various methods and techniques within the studio arts. The development of a personal aesthetic will be explored through individual and group studies of creative processes.

Week of July 7th to July 11th

Exploring and Creating Environmental Art: Incorporating Technology, Natural and Man-Made Resources
Instructors: Dr. Vicky Patton, RPT of Elementary Education, West Chester University and Ms. Katherine Falso, Teacher, Cheltenham School District

This will be a hands-on workshop where students will learn about and create their own environmental art installations. Environmental art will be examined through researching and comparing two major environmental artists, Andy Goldsworthy and Christos, using technology, DVDs, websites and conversation with guest artists.

Foundations of Computer Science I
Instructor: Dr. Zhen Jiang, Associate Professor of Computer Science, West Chester University

The course is designed to provide students with a view of the fundamental blocks of computer science. These fundamental blocks will include animation presentation in PowerPoint, visual programming in VB Express Edition, and information search in MySQL.

Weeks of July 7- July 11th and July 14- July 18th

The Great Russian Adventure
Instructors: Dr. Alice J. Speh, Associate Professor of Russian, West Chester University and Ms. Irina Y. Dubinina, Ph.D. Candidate, Bryn Mawr College

The course will introduce students to Russian language and culture through engaging hands-on-activities. Students will learn the basics of the Russian language and experience the Russian culture incorporating folklore, fairy tales, music and history.

Astronomy & Cosmology
Instructors: Dr. Marc Gagné, Assistant Professor of Geology & Astronomy, West Chester University and Mr. Jay Atkins, Gifted Teacher, West Chester School District.

Students will work on current topics in astronomy and cosmology including extra-solar planets, the evolution of stars, galaxies, the expansion of the universe and the Big Bang.

Leadership
Instructor: Dr. Paul M. Arsenault, Marketing Department, West Chester University

Campers will be exposed to the latest thinking on the definition of leadership, leadership styles, and developing leadership skills. We will teach students through the use of self-assessment tests, lecture, discussion, and role-playing activities.

French: "Let's go surfing in France"
Instructor: Dr. Brigitte Goutal, Assistant Professor, West Chester University

Students will work on the fundamentals of the French language as well as important facets of French culture such as history, geography, art, and food.

Exploring the Diverse Aspects of Chinese Language and Culture
Instructor: To Be Announced

This program will expose young campers to one of the world’s oldest languages and civilizations. We plan to work on various aspects of Chinese culture including Chinese language, characters, calligraphy, painting, music, crafts and martial arts.

Welcome to Learning Arabic!
Instructor: To Be Announced

The experiential, hands-on course offers an introduction to basic Arabic expressions using audio and video tapes, CDs, computer games, Islamic games and puzzles, and includes lessons about Arab family and community life, cultural codes, and important aspects of customs.

Week of July 14- July 18th

Foundations of Computer Science II
Instructor: Dr. Zhen Jiang, Associate Professor of Computer Science, West Chester University

The goals of the course are to providing campers to gain hands-on-experience in the areas of animation, audio/video, computer graphics and presentation tools.