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May 29, 2009

Students discover nature during ULM Explorers Camp this June

Students, grades eight – 12, are discovering science, math and technology at the fifth annual University of Louisiana at Monroe Explorers Camp. ULM professors are leading the sessions, and undergraduate students are serving as mentors at the camp.

ULM’s program, part of the LA GEAR UP Summer Learning Camps, develops and promotes career and educational aspirations through leadership training, personal exploration, focused tutoring assistance, and introduction to areas of study at ULM. Sessions are scheduled each week in June.

Natalie Campbell is the ULM camp project director. The residential one-week program is designed to show students the need for early academic and financial preparation for education beyond high school.

The LA GEAR UP Summer Learning Camps, which are hosted at ULM, Louisiana Tech, ULL, and Grambling, are sponsored through the Board of Regents Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program. The camps are offered at no cost to students who live in one of the 11 designated LA GEAR UP parishes; that list may be obtained at www.lagearup.org.

Students participate in four half-day explorations:

Biology (two sessions): They study the predator/prey relationship by dissecting owl pellets and constructing food chains. Also, they study live turtles.

Computer Science: They learn to research, analyze data and present results using technology.

Toxicology: Students gain hands-on experience with instrumentation used by environmental professionals to monitor water quality as well as perform aquatic toxicity tests on surface water in an aquatic toxicology exploration.

In addition to their daily lessons, students apply what they learn during a Wednesday field trip to the Black Bayou National Wildlife Refuge. Students also visit the ULM Museum of Natural History.

For more information about this program, contact ncampbell@ulm.edu.

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