LG&E; and the Whitney M. Scholars Hands-On-Minds-On Space Engineering Program
The UofL College of Education and Human Development's (CEHD) Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium provides a two-week summer program for up to 50 rising 7th graders who have been accepted into the Lincoln Foundation's Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars (WYS) program. The summer program is funded by an annual $15,000 donation from Louisville Gas & Electric and KU Energy LLC.
The LG&E; Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars Hands-On-Minds-On Space Engineering program provides an engaging learning experience for underserved students from at-risk backgrounds, which is designed to advance their understanding of space science through sight, sound, touch, and smell. They study basic science concepts and facts through structured teamwork and develop an understanding of how multiple science disciplines are applied in daily life. Students in the Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars program are academically talented, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and are recommended by a teacher. The camp is an excellent way for Scholars to begin their journey through the Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars Program.
"No Scholar forgets their summer experience at the planetarium. Students have told me, 'I didn't like science until I came to this program. Now I love it.' When science is presented in a way that relates to real life and requires problem solving and critical thinking, lifelong learners emerge," said Carrye Jones, Interim Director Educational Programs, Lincoln Foundation.
The summer camp also provides a professional development opportunity for science teachers in the public schools to improve teaching and to learn new techniques that make science a fun and engaging learning experience. The camp experience includes sensory deprivation simulations to help students understand barriers astronauts face when completing tasks in space, (i.e., gloved hands, limited vision, etc.), hands-on activities to model the scale of the universe, designing a Mars colony outpost, and building model rockets that are launched on the last day of camp.
The College of Education and Human Development began providing intensive summer science programming for incoming Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars in 2006 through a program run by Dr. Sherry Brown, Associate Professor in the CEHD's Department of Middle and Secondary Education. LG&E; and GE donated funds to support the program during her tenure as coordinator from 2006 - 2011. In 2012, the program was moved to the planetarium and redesigned to focus on space engineering under the direction of Dr. Tom Tretter, Professor in the Department of Middle and Secondary Education and Director of the Planetarium.
The Lincoln Foundation created the Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars Program to recruit academically talented seventh-grade students in the Louisville Metro area. The students participate in a six-year program that prepares them for high school graduation and higher education. It promotes academic achievement, leadership skills, and strong character development through educational clinics, summer institutes, and parent institutes.