Grace Shultz, left, and Abby Davis dissect cow eyes as part of the Young Scholars program at GNTC. Both students are rising eighth-graders at Rome Middle School.
This week Georgia Northwestern Technical College is hosting the Young Scholars program for rising eighth-grade students from Rome Middle School. Through the program, students take part in a variety of hands-on science activities that provides a head start for the upcoming school year and offers insight on future career opportunities.
Teachers from Rome City Schools, and instructors and staff from GNTC, are working together to provide a quality, intellectually stimulating summer program for the week of July 21-24, said officials. Approximately 60 students from Rome City Schools are spending the week at GNTC engaged in various science programs and tours of the college.
“We always appreciate hosting the Rome Middle School Young Scholars,” said Frank Pharr, dean of academic affairs for the Floyd County Campus of GNTC. “These students are some of the best and the brightest and we welcome the opportunity to let them see what we can offer them.”
The students that attend the program are nominated by their teachers or principal for their academic performance, character and positive attitude.
The Young Scholars program topics cover a portion of the curriculum that will be taught in eighth-grade physical science classes and how it relates to various careers.
“The heart of the camp is to get kids really excited about science,” said Holly Amerman, coordinator for the eighth-grade Young Scholars camp. “GNTC is the perfect location; we can use the labs, the facilities are wonderful, and the people here are very accommodating.”
Activities during the week include dissecting cow eyes, calculating the density of different substances, creating candy Chromatography, a forensics activity using mystery powder, the egg drop and more.