One-week Engineering program at the University of MD!

Exploring Engineering at the University of Maryland (E2@UMD) is a one-week summer program for high school women (rising juniors or seniors) who are considering engineering as a possible major and career. Participants will live on campus for one-week and explore the world of engineering through fun hands-on activities, laboratory experiments, informative workshops, team challenges and seminars that are led by professional engineers.

The goal of E2@UMD is to:

Provide students with a positive learning experience in a collegiate environment;

Expose young women to female role models in engineering; and

Support student’s decision to pursue engineering as a course of study in college and a career.

This year, there will be two E2@UMD sessions: July 8-14 and July 15-21, 2012. The cost of the program is $800 per student (Please do not include this fee when submitting your application). The program fee covers all expenses except transportation to and from the University of Maryland and spending money. If additional grants are secured, the program cost will decrease. The fee will be due upon acceptance into the program. In addition, full and partial scholarships are available based on financial need.

The online application for the 2012 E2@UMD program is now open. You must complete your biographical Information and Personal Statement online and mail the rest of the application package to the address below. Application reviews will begin on March 26, 2012.

Your Complete Application Package must include the following items:

Biographical Information and Personal Statement Your personal statement is an essay that describes why you would like to participate in E2@UMD. This is your opportunity to discuss your experiences, extra-curricular activities and specific strengths that would make you a good candidate. Your personal statement can be up to 5,000 characters or approximately 700 words;

Teacher Recommendation
The Teacher Recommendation must be from a math and/or a science teacher and;

Official High School Transcript

All application materials (teacher recommendation and official transcript) should be mailed together to:

E2@UMD 
Women In Engineering Program

University of Maryland

1131 Glenn L. Martin Hall

College Park, MD 20742

Applications for the 2012 Young Women's Political Leadership Program are now available!

The 2012 Young Women’s Political Leadership Program (YWPL) will be held in Washington, DC from June 25 – June 30, 2012. The goal of YWPL is to help more young women seize the opportunity to be political leaders in their community and in the world. YWPL emphasizes the practical skills needed to lead in politics, including:

Public speaking;

Networking;

Developing a message; and

On-camera media training.

YWPL is open to high school girls entering 9^th grade through graduating seniors. While the program is free of charge, there is a room and board fee of $500 and need-based scholarships are available. To apply for a need-based scholarship, please complete the optional essay at the end of the application.

Young women who are interested in the Young Women’s Political Leadership Program are encouraged to apply early for the 2012 program! The application deadline is February 28, 2012.

Participate in an Active Education Forum this Saturday at Georgetown University!

 

Groundwork Anacostia River DC is holding an Outdoor Education Forum this Saturday, January 28 from 10am-3pm at Georgetown University. The Forum will focus on Team building, Problem Solving and Active Learning.

Interested participants can meet as a group at the Center for Green Urbanism (3938 Benning Rd., NE) at 9am. The group will travel to Georgetown via Metro from the Minnesota Ave. station to the Rosslyn Station. Students are responsible for Metro fare ($2.40 cash/fare card or $2.15 if using a SmarTrip card).

For more information, please contact Vaughn Perry at (202) 411-7159 or Dominique Skinner (202) 492-3535.

Seniors can obtain media internships with the Emma L. Bowen Foundation!

 

The Emma L. Bowen Foundation was created in 1989 to prepare minority youth for careers in the media industry. This unique, multi-year program prepares a diverse group of talented young professionals to enter the workforce with specific job-related skills, knowledge of the corporate environment and a strong foundation for future advancement. Students will work in a variety of functional areas (e.g., marketing, sales, finance, public relations, human resources, technology, news, web design and promotion) and rotate each summer.

The Foundation’s program is unlike traditional intern programs as students work for partner companies beginning the summer following their senior year in high school until they graduate from college. During this four-year program, students have an opportunity to learn many aspects of corporate operations and develop company-specific skills. Corporations also have an opportunity to train and mentor students and can offer them full-time employment upon completion of their college degrees.

Students earn an hourly salary and matching funds for college expenses and are required to maintain a 3.0 grade point average to remain in good standing. Currently, the Foundation has 260 active students nationwide and more than 450 graduates. Approximately 70-80 new students join the program each year and in 2011, 108 students were added.

Applications for the Emma L. Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media must be submitted by February 15, 2012.

Win $500! Submit a poem or short story by March 23!

  The Metropolitan DC Chapter of The Links, Inc. encourages high school students to participate in their 30^th Annual Young Black Writers Contest. The theme for this year’s contest is: I Have a Dream – My Legacy Defined and the winner will receive $500!

Submissions can be either Poetry (a collection of five (5) poems) or Prose and Scripts (short story or script writing, e.g. radio, television or theater). All entries must be submitted by March 23, 2012 and entries can be sent to: YBW2012@yahoo.com. Please contact Mr. Cotton for a complete list of rules and guidelines.

Omega Psi Phi Talent Competition - winner receives up to $500!

 

The Washington, DC Chapters of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. are presenting their Annual Talent Hunt Competition on March 10, 2012. The Talent Hunt Competition is a forum where talented high school students can display their ability to:

Dance (Ballet, Modern dance and tap); 

Play music – vocally and instrumentally (Classical, Semi-Classical, Gospel, and Jazz); or 

Speak publicly (Poetry, Dramatic readings, Orations and Monologues).

Please note – duets and groups are not eligible and all participants must provide any necessary accompaniment. All performances are limited to six (6) minutes and the performance must be memorized.

Applications are available online and must be postmarked by February 9, 2012. Completed applications can be sent to: 

Talent Hunt Committee

Attn: Phillip Thomas, Chairman

13100 Vicar Woods Lane

Bowie, MD 20720

Fax: (202) 544-0852

Walk-in applications will also be accepted during the February 11 audition. Participants must also submit a consent form in order to participate in the Talent Hunt Competition.

The audition and the competition will be held at the Community Academy Public Charter School (CAPCS), AMOS-III, which is located at:

1400 1^st St., NW (1^st and P Streets)

For additional information, please contact:

Phillip Thomas at (202) 285-6665

Princeton University's Summer Journalism Program - Applications due February 15, 2012!

 

Princeton University’s Summer Journalism Program invites 20 juniors to Princeton's campus for an intensive, 10-day seminar on journalism. The program's goal is to diversify college and professional newsrooms by encouraging outstanding students to pursue careers in journalism. All expenses, including students' travel costs to and from Princeton are paid for by the program. Students who attend the program come from across the country.

Applications are available online and are due

February 15, 2012.

Classes at the program are taught by reporters and editors from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The New Yorker, CNN and ABC News and many other media outlets. Students tour the Times, CNN and The Daily Beast, cover a professional sporting event (a Yankees or Mets baseball game, NY Liberty basketball game or a minor league baseball game), cover news events in the Princeton area, film and produce a TV segment, conduct an investigative project, author a group blog and report, write, edit and design their own newspaper, The Princeton Summer Journal, which is published on the program's last day.

The program is also designed to give students a taste of what life is like at one of the best colleges in the country—students live on campus and eat in one of the university's cafeterias—and to prepare them to apply to top schools. Students meet with Princeton's top professors as well as the school's president and its dean of admissions. Students attend seminars on every aspect of the college admissions process. They also take a practice SAT and attend an SAT class taught by the Princeton Review. The program's 2011 schedule can be found here: http://www.princeton.edu/sjp/2011_schedule/. After students return home, program staff will remain in contact with them, assisting them during the college application process and helping them to apply for journalism internships once they are in college.

To apply for the program, you must:

Currently be a junior in high school.

Live in the continental United States.

Have at least a 3.5 GPA.

Have an interest in journalism.

Please note: The combined income of your custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, must not exceed $45,000 (If the combined income of your custodial parent(s)/guardian(s) plus child support payments, if any, exceeds $45,000 and you still wish to apply, you may attach a statement explaining why you believe your family qualifies as financially under-resourced.).

Applications for the T.H.R.I.V.E. internship program are currently available!

The T.H.R.I.V.E. (True High school Real life Internship Vocational Experience) program offers paid, 7-week internships and the program invests in students who are interested in careers in the electrical or construction trades. Students are exposed to positive work and life experiences while also being guided along the way by professionals and experts in these fields.

To apply to the T.H.R.I.V.E. program, students must:

Be 16 years of age;
Have successfully registered for the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP);
Complete an internship application (please contact Mr. Cotton for an application);
Have a formal resume;
Have a minimum 2.5 GPA;
Submit two (2) recommendation letters;
Successfully complete the interview process;
Have exemplary attendance & behavior records; and
Have negative drug screens.

T.H.R.I.V.E. also requires students to participate in pre-employment job training sessions which will focus on resume writing, appropriate workplace attire, punctuality while on the job, financial management, conflict/resolution and other topics which ensure student success.

Applications are due on Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

T.H.R.I.V.E. was recently featured on Fox 5.

Applications for DC Summer Jobs will be available at 3:15pm on January 27!

 

Applications for Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s One City Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) will be available on Friday, January 27th at 3:15pm!

The SYEP is a locally-funded program administered by the DC Department Of Employment Services (DOES) Office of Youth Programs that provides summer jobs and work readiness training to District youth between the

ages of 14-21.

Applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and all applications must be received by Friday, February 17, 2012 in order to be considered. Space is very limited as last year, only 12,000 youth were selected. Students who are interested in a summer job are encouraged to apply early and comply with all posted deadlines.

Youth may complete their application from any computer with an Internet connection. If you need assistance with your application or a place to access the Internet, you can attend Midnight Madness – an official SYEP application kick-off event. Midnight Madness will take place on Friday, January 27 from 3:15pm until 12:00 midnight at the DOES building (4058 Minnesota Avenue NE, adjacent to the Minnesota Avenue Metro station). DOES staff will be on hand to assist youth and their families and to answer any questions.

The 2012 SYEP will begin on Monday, June 25, 2012 and will end by Friday, August 3, 2012.

For additional information about the 2012 “One City Summer Youth Employment Program,” residents can visit: http://www.summerjobs.dc.gov/ or 

call DOES at (202) 698-3492.

One City High School Internship Program - applications are currently being accepted!

 

The One City High School Internship Program (OCHSIP) is one of the Mayor’s initiatives and is coordinated through the DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR) and the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES).

The 2012 recruitment period for high school interns is currently underway and eligible students are encouraged to apply for the program. Students who participate in the OCHSIP will automatically transition into the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP).

The OCHSIP is for 11^th and 12^th grade District of Columbia residents. The program is a meaningful, 26-week internship 

(February 13, 2012 – August 3, 2012) that will help students:

Learn and develop the skills, attitudes and commitment necessary to succeed in today’s workforce;

Interact with dynamic working professionals in a positive environment; and

Develop a better understanding of public service careers while earning time and grade qualifications with DC Government.

Some students who participate in the OCHSIP may qualify to receive academic credit that will count toward their graduation requirements. Students may also be able to earn community service hours during their participation in the program. Students who wish to receive academic credit or community service hours should consult with their School Counselor. Please note: students will not be permitted to receive payment AND receive academic credit/community service hours.

To apply, students:

Must be in either the 11^th or 12^th grade;

Must be a DC resident;

Must have at least a 2.5 GPA;

Must complete the online application 

by January 27, 2012;

Must submit the school verification form along with a transcript and two letters of recommendation (one academic, one character reference from a community representative);

Must submit a Parental Consent Form; and

Must participate in an interview session.

Candidates will be evaluated on their academic record, application package and interview. For more information about OCHSIP, please visit:

http://does.dc.gov/does/frames.asp?doc=/does/lib/does/frames/ochsip_program_info_students_final.pdf.

Earn $1,000 and an internship: develop an idea to conserve and protect wildlife!

Whether you live in a city, a rural area or a suburb, wildlife is all around you. In many of these places, wildlife is being threatened. Are you a high school student with a creative idea for conserving and protecting wildlife and its habitat in your community? Planet Connect is offering Youth Engagement Grants of $1,000 for high school students to implement their problem-solving projects and participate in a local internship that will be focused on wildlife conservation.

Wildlife and their habitats are not just located in the woods or forested areas — they are in the trees in your backyard, the shrubs around your school building and everywhere else. Ask yourself, what local wildlife habitats or natural resources are being threatened and by what? What problem is this creating in your community? What can you do to help?

Once you have focused in on a specific issue occurring in your community, think about specific goals for your project and the steps you will need to take in order to address the problem. Do you see any opportunities to protect or preserve wildlife habitat? Think about what kind of project could be developed to address the issue. Can you think of something that could get your whole community involved? What will the positive impacts be for the community?

In the application, you will be asked to create a timeline for implementing your project, as well as a detailed budget describing how you will tackle the problem, what tools you will use, who you will work with and what positive outcomes you foresee. If chosen as a winner, you will be provided $500 to turn your project into a reality. After completing your project in June, you will participate in an 80-hour wildlife conservation or natural resource internship in your local community during the summer of 2012. At the end of the internship you will be awarded a $500 stipend.

To apply for a Youth Engagement Grant, please visit https://www.grantinterface.com/Common/LogOn.aspx?eqs=OEpobC3UY-IJBz6shkZvJg2 and create an account. Applications are due February 1, 2012.

Eligible participants will:

Be 14-19 years old 

Be enrolled in a U.S. high school program (public, private, charter or home school)

Propose a project that is focused on wildlife conservation

Be a member of Planet Connect (please visit http://planetconnect.org/user/register/ to become a free member)

Be available during the summer of 2012 for participation in a wildlife conservation or natural resources internship

Have not received a Planet Connect Student Grant in the last two years.

For a list of ideas, please visit: http://planetconnect.org/2012wcgrants.

Win $2,000 for studying and suggesting improvements to the Earth's environment!

 

From the massive Gulf oil spill to the continued decline of Arctic sea ice, satellites and other observing instruments have proved to be essential when monitoring the many environmental changes – both natural and human-induced – occurring on global, regional and local scales.

The 2012 Thacher Environmental Research Contest, sponsored by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, challenges high school students  to conduct innovative research on our changing planet using the latest geospatial tools and data, which in recent years have become increasingly accessible to the public.

Eligible geospatial tools and data include satellite remote sensing, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). The main focus of the project must be on the application of the geospatial tool(s) or data to study a problem related to Earth's environment.

Geospatial tools and data have numerous uses in science research, ranging from climate prediction to archaeology. They can be used to improve our understanding of Earth systems, including interactions within and among the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere and hydrosphere. They also can be used to improve the quality of our lives by supporting weather prediction, natural hazards monitoring, agriculture, land-use planning, coastal management, transportation, public health, emergency response and other fields.

Student Awards: Winning projects will receive cash awards in the amount of $2,000 for 1^st place, $1,000 for 2^nd place and $500 for 3^rd place. Entries can be submitted by individuals or teams. In the case of team entries, the cash award will be split equally among the winning team members. Winners also will be featured in an Encyclopedia of Earth article.

Entries must be received April 16, 2012 and the winning entries will be announced by May 23, 2012. Please visit http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=scholars&sub3=scholars2012 for more information about the contest and to download the entry form.

$150 Clean Air Poster Contest!

 

Clean Air Partners invites students in grades 4-8 to submit a creative poster that will focus on solutions to air pollution and climate change and inspire people to take actions to improve our region’s air quality. The deadline for submissions is March 16, 2012. Entries will be judged in two grade-level categories:

Category 1: Grades 4-6

Category 2: Grades 7-8

Here a are a few potential topics that students can consider for their posters:

The health effects of air pollution.

The Air Quality Index as an education tool.

Alternatives to fossil fuels to reduce air pollution.

Ways to reduce ground-level ozone and air pollutants.

Increasing energy efficiency to combat climate change.

Alternative transportation such as biking to work or teleworking.

How “Green Jobs” can impact air quality and climate change.

There will be a 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winner selected for each category. All winners will be notified by April 20, 2012. Prizes are:

1^st Place: $150 gift card. Teachers of 1^st place winners will also receive a $100 gift card.

2^nd Place: $50 gift card

3^rd Place: $25 gift card

Please note that each submission must also include a written statement (50 words or less) explaining your poster concept and how we can work together to help Clean Air Partners spread the word about reducing air pollution and the impacts of climate change.

All winning posters will be on display at the Clean Air Partners Annual Celebration in May 2012. Winning students, their teachers and parents will be invited to attend this event where they will be formally recognized by Clean Air Partners. Winning posters will also be featured on the Clean Air Partners web site, Facebook page and in local media outreach efforts.

Posters must be postmarked by March 16, 2012. Send poster and completed Submission Form to:

Clean Air Partners c/o

Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

777 North Capitol St., NE

Suite 300

Washington, DC 20002

To read the Full announcement and judging rubric, please visit: http://www.cleanairpartners.net/uploadimages/2012_poster_contest.pdf.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Rebecca Davis

(703) 340-6875

Community Service Hours available!

 

Groundwork Anacostia River DC (GWARDC) invites students to participate in the 6^th Annual Pope Branch Park Clean-up Event in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of National Service. The clean-up event will be held on January 16, 2012 from 10:00am to 1:00pm (on site registration begins at 9:30am).

To participate in this community service activity, you can meet the group at Fairlawn Avenue & M Place, SE.

A shuttle service will be meeting volunteers at the Potomac Metro station (Orange & Blue lines) from 9:30am to 10:30am and transporting them to Pope Branch. Volunteers will be shuttled back at the end of the event. 

SEED Public Charter School is partners with GWARDC and several SEED students will be assisting in the clean-up efforts as part of this partnership. To participate in the community service activity with GWARDC, please contact:

Vaughn Perry, Program Director

Groundwork Anacostia River DC

3938 Benning Rd., NE

Washington, DC 20019

(202) 441-7159 cell

(202) 506-3867 phone 

For additional information, please contact:

Irv Sheffey

Sierra Club/Pope Branch Park Restoration Alliance

(202) 299-6503  

http://popebranch.blogspot.com/

Sidwell's summer ExploreStar program for middle school students!

 Sidwell’s ExploreStar Programs are for students in grades 6-8. Participants will be actively engaged in the arts, academics and sports and they will experience hands-on, enriching workshops, meet new friends and explore new topics – all while still being a ‘camper’.

The ExplorerStar Camp will be held from June 18– August 3, 2012 at Sidwell’s DC Campus. The camp hours are 9am – 3pm and the cost is $375/session (full day). To apply for the ExploreStar Camp, please complete the online application (please note: you will need to create an account).

Sidwell offers a Summer Sponsorship Fund which has helped to bring enriching, fun summer activities to families that might not otherwise be able to participate due to the cost. If you are interested in applying for sponsorship, please complete the online sponsorhip application (please note: you will have to create an account). Full completion of the application is necessary for a request to be processed. To be considered in the first round of sponsorship, please complete the application by February 15^th. To be considered in the second round of sponsorships, please complete the application by April 15^th. Applications submitted after April 15^th will not be considered.

$1,000 college scholarships are available: Apply to the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference!

The annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference awards $1,000 college scholarships to rising high school seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in journalism. 

Students will come to Washington, DC from July 14-19, 2012 to receive their awards and participate in an all-expenses-paid journalism conference at the Newseum. This program is funded by the Freedom Forum to honor Al Neuharth, the founder of USA TODAY, the Newseum and the Freedom Forum. 

Fifty-one (51) students, representing each of the 50 states and Washington, DC will be accepted to attend the conference.

The deadline to submit the online application is February 15, 2012. Applicants are strongly advised to print and read the reference guide prior to starting the application process.

Scholarships will be awarded to students who successfully complete the program and will be paid to the students' colleges and universities of choice in the fall of 2013.

Applications are now available for Cornell University's Summer College Program!

 

Cornell University's prestigious Summer College Program offers three and six-week academic programs for talented sophomores, juniors and seniors from around the world. 

By spending a summer at Cornell, you will:

Experience the excitement of college life at a great Ivy League university

Take fascinating college courses with Cornell's world-renowned faculty

Get a head start on college by earning three to six (3-6) college credits

Explore careers and academic majors from architecture to veterinary medicine

Enhance your college applications and attend admissions workshops

Live, study and play on one of the nation's most beautiful campuses

Make friends from around the world and much, much more!

Available summer programs include:

Architecture, Art and Design, Business, College Success, Engineering, Environmental Studies, History and Politics, Hotel Management, Humanities, Law and Government, Medicine, Psychology, Research and Science and Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science.

As a Summer College student, you will enroll in one or more of Cornell's fast-paced and rigorous undergraduate courses and enjoy the rare opportunity to work closely with some of Cornell's most outstanding professors.

The grades and credits you earn will be recorded on an official Cornell University transcript and usually, these credits can be applied toward an undergraduate degree at Cornell or another school.

Summer College programs run for three or six weeks between June 23 and August 7 on Cornell’s campus in Ithaca, New York.

To be eligible for Summer College, you must have completed your sophomore, junior or senior year of high school by June 2012.

Cornell receives between 1,200 and 1,450 applications for all summer programs and more than 900 students attend Summer College each year.

Limited financial aid is available and the financial aid form must be submitted along with your application.

Apply now for Cornell’s 2012 Summer College. Please note that you will need to create an account in order to complete the online application. The application deadline for most programs is May 4, 2012. For the best chance at getting into your first-choice program, students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about the Summer College program or the application process, please contact Cornell at (607) 255-6203.