Archived News | Return to News Center

April 7, 2011

Monroe City Scholars Saturday Academies scheduled for April 9 at ULM

On Saturday, April 9, students and parents from Monroe City School District will be given a preview of ULM's upcoming Monroe City Scholars' science camps at the first Monroe City Scholars' Saturday Academy, entitled "Bones."

"Bones is a chance for budding young scientists to get inside the heads of humans and animals by looking at different skulls and identifying the bones that make up a skull," said ULM Professor of Biology Dr. Kim Tolson.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the Museum of Natural History on the ULM campus and offer hands-on activities as well as dorm tours for the upcoming Monroe Scholars' Institutes, two summer science camps offered during June.

The Monroe City Scholars' science camps offer qualifying middle school students in Monroe the opportunity to spend one week on the ULM campus studying science in real college classrooms.

"One of the initiatives toward our goal of becoming world-class districts is to offer tuition-free enrichment summer school opportunities for students and teachers," notes Monroe City School Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Harris.

"Monroe City Scholars, a collaborative project between Monroe City's Gear-Up Grant initiative and ULM, is one tangible product of our 'Tracking World Class' goals and of our long and cherished relationship with ULM," Harris said.

The Programs will provide 140 middle school students with free tuition to attend one of two summer science camps: The Nature of Science from June 12-18 or Adventures in Slime from June 19-25.

Each summer camp focuses on a different scientific discipline and the careers that relate to that area.

In the Nature of Science camp, June 12-18, scholars will work with science faculty members Dr. Kim Tolson, Dr. Laura Beal and Dr. Gary Stringer in the areas of Biology, Environmental Sciences and Geology to explore the natural world.

The second camp, Adventures in Slime, takes campers out into the community to explore careers in local industry such as Angus Chemicals, Georgia Pacific, Ouachita Fertilizer and Plastics, and G2G: Gas to Green.

Science faculty members Dr. Anne Case Hanks, Dr. Heath Barnett and Dr. Laura Beal will facilitate this camp which focuses on Atmospheric Sciences, Environmental Science and Chemistry.

In addition to the science activities, camp participants will be given opportunities to participate in other activities on the ULM campus such as swimming at the Natatorium and canoeing on the Bayou, as well as exploring the arts and literature in the evening.

At the end of the week students will display what they have learned to their parents as part of an Awards Banquet in the ULM Library followed by a "campers-only" dance in the Student Union Building.

Full scholarships to qualified students will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and require a completed application packet.

To get started, visit the Monroe City Scholars Web site at www.ulm.edu/dream/monroecityscholars.html and fill out an "I am interested" form.

The application packet may be downloaded at the Web site or requested from the school. Space is limited, and no applications will be accepted after May 16.

Contact the DREAM office in the College of Education and Human Development at 318-342-1250 for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: Some links and e-mail addresses in these archived news stories may no longer work, and some content may include events which are no longer relevent, or reference individuals and/or organizations no longer associated with ULM.