You‘ve heard of junior colleges. Vanderbilt University is offering a new twist – junior junior college – for talented seventh through tenth graders.
The new program, Weekend Academy at Vanderbilt University or WAVU, will open the university‘s campus and classrooms March 3-4, for an intense, activity-filled weekend of academics and fun for motivated students in seventh through tenth grades.
“Weekend Academy is an opportunity for students to try something different – to try thinking like an inventor or a biomedical engineer – in the world-class university environment that Vanderbilt provides,” Elizabeth Schoenfeld, director of the Programs for Talented Youth at Vanderbilt, said. “It is a unique chance for bright, motivated students to come together and experience a taste of college life at Vanderbilt.”
Students will immerse themselves in a fast-paced, two-day class taught by Vanderbilt faculty. The courses offered are “Eureka! How to Think Like an Inventor,” taught by Owen Graduate School of Management Professor David Owens; “How to Influence Others,” taught by Vanderbilt Peabody Leadership, Policy and Organizations Professors Michael McLendon and Mark Cannon; “The Language of the Heart: Biomedical Engineering,” taught by Engineering Professor Stacy Klein; and “Banned Books and Readers‘ Rights,” taught at the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt by Executive Director Gene Policinski.
Students who have achieved 95 percent on a grade level examination such as TCAP or who have been invited to participate in the Duke Talent Search are qualified to enroll. The tuition is $400 and includes food, housing, academic course and all course materials. Financial aid is available for students with demonstrated need. Children of full-time Vanderbilt employees qualify for a 20 percent discount.
The application deadline is Feb. 16. Applications are available online at http://pty.vanderbilt.edu/wavu.html.
Highly gifted young students will have an extended opportunity to experience Vanderbilt this summer through the Vanderbilt Summer Academy, one- to three-week residential programs offered for eighth- through 12th- graders. The academy offers engaging and challenging curricula in math, science and the humanities. The program integrates resources from the university‘s many research programs, from robotics, nanotechonology and other cutting-edge fields directly into the classroom experience.
To learn more about WAVU and Vanderbilt Summer Academy, visit http://pty.vanderbilt.edu or call (615) 322-8261.
For more Vanderbilt news visit VUCast, the university‘s news network, at www.vanderbilt.edu/news.
Media contact: Melanie Moran, (615) 322-7970
Melanie.moran@vanderbilt.edu