UCO’s Summer Academies Prep High Schoolers for College

By Kimberly Hill, The Edmond Sun, Okla.

Jun. 20–EDMOND — To 60 youngsters, college means building robots, busting crime scenes and breaking career barriers.

This month the University of Central Oklahoma gave eighth- through 12th-grade Oklahoma students a head start.

The Summer Academies in math, science and technology at UCO were completed in four sessions throughout June.

The goal of the academies is to persuade students they can do college, said Robert Bost, co-director for the Forensic Science Academy. He said “underrepresented” students are a priority when selecting applicants.

More than 80 percent of academy participants go on to earn at least a bachelor’s degree in their college careers, compared with 22 percent of Oklahoma’s total population. They also are 20 percent more likely than average students to go to college immediately after high school.

“They get a taste of what college life is all about,” said Charles Hughes, co-director for the Engineering Physics Exploration Academy.

Bost said nine of the 30 Forensic Science Academy participants were familiar faces who returned for another year.

While this was the Engineering Physics Exploration Academy’s 15th year, the Forensic Science Academy is still young in only its second year as part of UCO’s Summer Academies.

Under the supervision of UCO faculty, participants worked with UCO engineering physics and forensic science majors.

Forensic science senior Kelli Holbrook said she did the Forensic Science Academy at a different location twice when she was in high school, and that experience helped lead her to study forensic science at college. Holbrook said she thinks being on campus and meeting college students ameliorates participants’ interest in going to college.

“I think it does benefit them,” she said. “They’re sitting through lectures and going through labs just like we do.”

The Engineering Physics Exploration Academy, which was in two sessions during the first half of June, took students through fields such as computers, mechanics, optics and robotics. Hughes said the students did many team-building activities based on scientific projects during these sessions.

“They’re really focused when they work, and it’s exciting to watch them,” Hughes said.

The Forensic Science Academy taught the values of teamwork as well. Ryan Small, 16, said his experience at UCO pushed him to work better with others.

“They do hands-on, independent activities, but they have to process their mock crime scenes as a team,” said Dana Rundle, co-director for the Forensic Science Academy.

In two sessions during the last half of June and ending today, the Forensic Science Academy was focused on crime scene investigation.

Rundle said while forensics was the fundamental subject for the two sessions, the students were exposed to many areas of science.

Twenty-two academies in math, science and technology are offered at 17 of Oklahoma’s colleges and universities in June, July and August for the 2008 program.

The free academies are sponsored by a three-year grant from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Edmond Sun, Okla.

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