Description :  

The mission of the LA Tech Explorers camps is to motivate students of LA GEAR UP schools to begin planning and preparing for entrance into an undergraduate program upon graduation from high school. This mission is supported through the following program goals:

1. Provide stimulating learning opportunities for project participants with an emphasis on highly focused and motivating constructivist learning activities in mathematics, science, and English/language arts supported by technology.

2. Develop and promote career and educational aspirations through leadership training, personal exploration, tutoring, assistance, continuing electronic mentoring, and through an introduction to various areas of study available to undergraduate students at Louisiana universities.

3. Help students develop early awareness about the need to plan for college both academically and financially by providing opportunities for them to meet with representatives from admissions departments of several Louisiana universities as well as financial aid counselors.  Career action plans will be developed for each project participant.

4. Foster the development of a diverse, cohesive, community support network through the implementation and institutionalization of the Explorer Club concept in each participating middle and high school (through a partnership with La Tech’s G&C project).

These goals are achieved through a one-week residential camp for sixty rising seventh and eight grade LA GEAR UP students.  We will offer four such camps during the second year of LA GEAR UP for first-time campers, and four additional camps for returning campers.  During the camp, participants receive leadership training by university psychology faculty, tutoring in academic subjects as identified by student performance on the abbreviated Explore Test to be administered at the beginning of the camp, and the opportunity to participate in four themed math/science enrichment programs.  These themes include engineering exploration and rapid prototyping; aquatic wetlands exploration; multimedia presentation exploration; and Experiment Gallery exploration (physics). In addition to these activities, participants will experience residential campus life through a series of planned recreational activities.  Teacher cadets and teacher candidates will serve as camp counselors and mentors.  Field trips to science museums and other university campuses are included in the camp plan. Throughout the remaining years of the project, continuing emphasis will be placed on the participants’ assuming leadership roles in their schools.  The Explorer Club provides them with that opportunity.  Returning campers who have completed the three-year leadership program can return as Junior Counselors in Year 4, and a select few can become paid counselors in Year 5. This project impacts 440 LA GEAR UP students.

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Principal Investigator:  Beer, Glenn  --  Curriculum, Instruction & Leadership

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Collaborators:  Dawn Basinger

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Funding Agencies:  US Department of Education through LaSIP

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Amount Awarded:  $411,041

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Start Period:  04/01/2004

End Period:  05/31/2005