Clark State Community College is recruiting middle school and high school students for the fourth consecutive year of the elite Phone & Games and Engineering Innovation programs in partnership with Johns Hopkins University.
Eligible students from Madison, Clark, Champaign, Logan, Miami, Montgomery and Greene counties will be able to participate in the programs during the summer of 2018.
“Engineering Innovation is for highly motivated high school students interested in sciences, specifically engineering and mathematics,” said Clark State STEM Programming Manager Kanesha Scott. Applicants must be in grades 10, 11 or 12 and have completed biology, physics or chemistry and Algebra II (with knowledge of sines, cosines and tangents). Students must have earned at least a B in all math and science classes, are required to write an essay expressing interest in the program and be recommended by a math or science teacher.
Engineering Innovation students who earn a grade of B or higher will receive three credits from Johns Hopkins University. For the first time, Engineering Innovation can now also be applied as 240 internship hours. "This means that students leave the program having experienced JHU curriculum/labs and can earn JHU credit plus internship hours. I stress to students that participating in Engineering Innovation can truly set them apart and make them stand out to any college of their choice when embarking on their careers in the future."
The application for Engineering Innovation is online and will open on December 15, 2017. The program will be held for five weeks at Clark State’s Leffel Lane campus in Springfield beginning June 18, 2018, and a field trip to JHU on July 13, 2018. (There will be no class on July 4, 2018.)
The Phone & Games program, open to highly motivated students in grades 6, 7 and 8, is being offered to qualified students who show an interest in engineering related to mathematics and coding. Applicants must have at least a B in science and math classes, write an essay expressing interesting in the program and be recommended by a math or science teacher.
Phone & Games applications are also available beginning December 15, 2017. The Phone & Games program will be held for one week at Clark State beginning June 11, 2018.
“We encourage students interested in these programs to begin their applications as soon as possible,” said Scott. “The applications will close on May 15 unless the programs fill prior to that date.”
Scott said the two Johns Hopkins University programs are offered at no charge to students. “The total of 48 students accepted into Engineering Innovation and Phone & Games will receive a full scholarship to cover the costs,” she said.
Scott encourages interested students to apply, stating that the Engineering Innovation program is an opportunity for a high school student to earn college credit and internship hours from one of America’s finest and most scientifically impactful universities. “Engineering Innovation also includes the chance to visit Johns Hopkins University for a day in Baltimore.”
Scott said the Phone & Games program is especially relevant because the professional fields of gaming and virtual reality simulation are seeing substantial growth. “From advancements such as smart phones to robotic surgical practices, students in grades 6-8 are best prepped for a quickly changing tech-dominated education and society through hands-on participation.”
Scott said students should expect to think intently and deeply while participating in these programs, but also to expect to learn something new. “The programs are designed to be challenging,” she said. “Students will face circumstances common to higher education and professional spaces. The most successful students in the programs are ones who understand that challenges do not guarantee failure, they guarantee growth; in consequence, when we grow, we learn and improve.”
Mrs. Roslyn Bullock of Springfield continues to fully sponsor American Math Competitions for Clark County schools, Johns Hopkins STEM programs at Clark State Community College and two interactive community math lectures. “These wonderful opportunities are sponsored by Mrs. Bullock in honor of her late husband Willis Bullock and her attorney Dan Harkins,” said Scott.
Visit Johns Hopkins Summer Programs on the Clark State website to learn about applicant eligibility and to access applications for the Johns Hopkins summer STEM programs.
Schools interested in learning more about the Engineering Innovation and Phone & Games programs can contact Clark State STEM Programming Manager Kanesha Scott at 937-328-6079.