Philomina Kane working on an imaging project at CCNY in summer 2011. The graduating senior at Manhattan Center for Science and Math credits the annual Photonics training program and her CCNY mentors for helping her gain admittance to Princeton this fall.
More than 500 to attend science, engineering and math camps
Two summers ago, Philomina Kane, 16, and the daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, was one of seven participants in The City College of New York's annual IUSL Photonics Training Program. The program offers high school students an opportunity for applied research in photonic science and technology. This fall, Ms. Kane enters Princeton University grateful to her CCNY experience for setting her on a path that she hopes will lead to a career in biomedical engineering.
"Through IUSL, I was able to develop an original project called "Black Lens Imaging" with the help of the director, Professor Robert Alfano, and won the Yale Science and Engineering Association award for it at the New York City Science and Engineering Fair," said Ms. Kane, a Bronx resident and Manhattan Center for Science and Math graduating senior. "IUSL prepared me for my admission into Princeton by instilling in me the notion that hard work and focus pays off."
Other recent participants in the Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers (IUSL) program have been accepted to Columbia, Yale and Duke universities.
IUSL is just one of several City College summer offerings for young New Yorkers like Ms. Kane. Annually, they help inspire and prepare more than 500 middle and high school students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and even architecture and law.
The programs range from the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp, a two-week academic residential program started by former astronaut Bernard Harris Jr., to a NOAA-CREST Weather Camp and a College Now@City College Mock Trial Program for students with an interest in law.
All programs reflect City College's commitment to nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and other professionals. These carefully designed sessions also reinforce CCNY's objective of fostering opportunity for underserved and underrepresented minorities.
Most of the participants are from these communities.
Following is a list of some of this year's summer programs at CCNY:
ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp. An academic and residential camp, July 7 – 19, for 54 middle school students from the five boroughs. It provides STEM instruction while stimulating interest in science and engineering as potential career paths. This year's project is "Clean Water to Clean Power: Maintaining New York's Water Supply." CCNY is one of 20 hosts nationwide of the program initiated by former astronaut Bernard Harris Jr., MD, the first African-American to walk in space. For more information, call 212-650-7395.
NOAA-CREST Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP). Six-week program that provides research opportunities to students in grades 9-12. Up to 20 participants are selected every summer to work with graduate students and CCNY engineering and science faculty members as mentors. It runs June 27 – August 8 this year. Contact NOAA-CREST for more details or call (212) 650-8099.
NOAA-CREST Weather Camp. Two-week program for high school students from the New York City metropolitan area, July 29 – August 9. Up to 10 students will participate in classes at CCNY and fieldwork at the National Weather Service office on the Brookhaven National Laboratories campus on Long Island where they will study weather phenomena and conduct field observations. Contact the Weather Camp for more information and to apply.
STEM Institute at CCNY. A challenging academic enrichment program to prepare and encourage minority students in grades 9 through 11 to pursue careers in engineering, computer science, science, business management, entrepreneurship and mathematics. It runs July 1 to August 9 and will attract up to 160 participants this year. Call (212) 650-6190 for more information and to apply.
IUSL Photonics Training Program. Provides high school students the opportunity to conduct applied research in the frontiers of photonic science and technology. A special focus of the seven-week program is to support members of underrepresented minority groups and women to enter these fields. It runs July 9 - August 24. Call (212) 650-5531, or visit the IUSL for more information.
Spitzer School of Architecture Summer Career Lab. Five-week pre-college (minimum age 16) and college-level (minimum age 19) career lab offered from July 1 to July 30 by New York City's only public school of architecture. The lab gives prospective architectural designers a chance to explore the theory and practice of architecture in lectures, workshops and design studies taught by award-winning and internationally recognized faculty. Call (212) 650-7312 for more information about the lab or how to download a registration form.
Grove School of Engineering STEP. A six-week program for underrepresented minorities as well as economically disadvantaged residents of New York State. Up to 150 high school students annually are exposed to STEM careers and provided with initial academic preparation in math and sciences that are essential to their success in the pursuit of these academic disciplines. A collaboration with the Union Settlement College Readiness Program, it runs July 8 to August 16. Visit STEP or call (212) 650-8040 for more information.
College Now@City College of New York Institute of Architectural Studies. Five-week program for eligible New York City public high school students entering grades 11or 12 in the fall. It incorporates rigorous coursework on the basics of architecture: critical thinking, aesthetics, structural integrity and the inherent properties of material, with drawing exercises and formal architectural theory. Participants receive up to six college credits upon successful completion of the program, July 1 – August 8. Metrocards and lunch vouchers are provided. For more information on this program contact CCNY's College Now staff or call (212) 650-5641 for more information.
College Now@City College of New York Summer Mock Trial Program. A five-week program for New York City public high school students entering the 11th or 12th grade in the fall. It is designed to provide students with an interest in pursuing a career in law the opportunity to engage in a mock trial over the course of the summer. Students will be enrolled in PSC 126 (Introduction to the American Legal Process) for three (3) college credits in the morning and preparing for a mock trial competition in the afternoons. It runs July 1 to August 8. Metrocards and lunch vouchers are provided. Contact CCNY's College Now staff or call (212) 650-5641 for more information.