Science Summer Camps

Camp Dates: June 3^rd – July 3^rd

Camp Purpose: RISE provides students with exposure to data science, statistics and original scientific research through coursework and guided group research projects.

Camp Description: The world is filled with too much data to analyze. Yet, the work of Data Scientists is to comb through thousands and millions of data points to make sense of the information and predictions from it. You can learn the statistics behind these analyses and work on a real data science project during our RISE in Data Science summer program.

Students will be enrolled in a 3-hr introductory statistics class and will receive college credit in this class for their participation (equivalent to the AP Statistics Exam). Students will also be led by faculty in the analysis and predictive utilization of data of students choosing. Students will not only gain data science skills, but will work in a team setting to advance a project and will improve their communication skills through presentations.

Any specific requirements for participants: Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 as well as a math and science GPA of 3.0. Students are not allowed to take a vacation during the RISE program.

Instructor: Dr. Christina Davis & Dr. Will Best

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 24^th – June 28^th

Camp Purpose: The purpose of this camp is to help students to gain a better understanding of the human body and how it relates to human diseases.

Camp Description: Students will explore several organ systems through microscopy and dissections. Systems will include Integumentary (skin), Cardiovascular (heart), Renal (kidneys), and Nervous (brain). In addition, students will investigate a rare or neglected condition relating back to these organ systems. These investigations will culminate in a poster presentation at the end of the camp to family, friends, and current Belmont students.

Any specific requirements for participants: All high school aged students welcome (14+)

Instructor: Dr. Felicity Sterling

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: June 24^th – June 28^th

Camp Purpose: The participants will learn how to use creativity and logic to create their own pieces of interactive media and video games. The camp combines design and basic programming to make a unique version of a computer game.

The camp differs from other coding camps as it allows for the students to interact with computer science and programming concepts applied to games. The camp is focused on creating, developing and coding games, not on just playing games or coding in general. Furthermore, the camp introduces concepts on how development and coding in general takes place on teams.

Camp Description: Developing a video game uses all parts of your brain: creativity, logic, design and problem-solving. If you enjoy playing games and have a strong analytical mind, you are going to love learning about what it takes to develop one! The Game Development and Programming camp will help students bridge the gap between arts and STEM as they practice creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. All participants will learn about: creativity, coding, logic, variables, conditionals, sequencing, looping and physics-based game design.

The program of the camp will have the participants in the camp will work during the week to develop different aspects of a game. Each day the kids will engage in activities to learn about coding and game development concepts followed by guided hands on exercises they will perform individually and in groups to apply the concepts learned to the game they are coding.

Any specific requirements for participants: HS students at the junior or senior level. Ideally, the student has taken algebra.

Instructor: Dr. Esteban Parra Rodriguez

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 8^th – July 12^th  

Camp Purpose: To engage young people in historical, current, and social biological and ethical concerns. To encourage artful debate and appropriate scientific research.  To build enthusiasm for biology and the ethical debates that surround this incredible field. 

Camp Description: “Do the ends ever justify the means? Is the suffering of a few worth the survival of the many? Just because we can do something in science- should we? What does the term ‘ethical’ even mean?”

If questions like these have ever plagued your mind- look no further! This camp will offer students the ability to discover, discuss, and debate historical case studies such as Henrietta Lacks/HeLa cells case, Stanford Prison Experiment, Tuskegee Syphilis Study, and more ethically questionable experimentation studies. Current bioethics topics include genetic engineering, stem cell research, research on animals, eugenics and the search for the “perfect” race, and many more! Social bioethical concerns include privacy and confidentiality, health insurance discrimination, blood transfusions, end of life choices, and more!  Alongside this we will also review the proper methods of scientific research and the logical fallacies that many who debate fall victim to. Finally, we will perform scientific lab techniques, such as an animal dissection and genetic engineering, for students to better understand the work behind the ethical questions

Any specific requirements for participants:  Must have completed a basic, high school biology course.

Instructor: Dr. Amy Bell

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 8^th – July 12^th

Camp Purpose: To embark on a journey into the world of electronics and programming using Arduino microcontrollers. Students will work through interactive projects where they will learn how to build circuits, write code, and bring their ideas to life.

Camp Description: Students will explore the fascinating world of Arduino technology through hands-on activities and projects. From blinking LEDs to crafting interactive gadgets, students will learn the fundamentals of electronics and programing in an enjoyable and accessible manner. Our goal is to spark a passion for innovation and invention by guiding students to build a digital weather station that they can proudly take home. Students will apply concepts learned in the classroom directly towards the design and operation of this sensor as a taste of critical thinking, experimenting, and finding creative solutions to real-world problems.

Any specific requirements for: Camp participants should be in high school and have taken at least algebra.

Instructors: Dr. Krista McBride, Dr. Matthew Zeh, Jeff Gustafson

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 8^th – July 12^th

Camp Purpose: For MNPS juniors / seniors from historically underrepresented groups to gain exposure to and experience with microbiological techniques to explore microbes in the environment.

Camp Description: We are surrounded by billions of microscopic organisms: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protists. In the VISIBL program, local MNPS high schools students spend a week in labs at Belmont University making these invisible microbes visible.

Any specific requirements for participants: This camp is only for teacher-nominated MNPS rising juniors or seniors and the camp instructor works directly with teachers to identify participants. Therefore, individual students cannot register for this camp. However, there are occasionally a few extra spots for additional participants. Student from an underrepresented or disadvantaged background may email the instructor, Dr. Becky Adams, to be placed on a backup email list. Dr. Adams will reach out by June 1 if there are additional spots for participants.

Instructor: Dr. Becky Adams

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 15^th – July 19^th

Camp Purpose: From Brain to Behavior at Belmont (BBB) builds critical thinking skills for participants in psychology and neuroscience through hands-on activities related to brain structure, neuronal function and human behavior.

Camp Description: Do you think about thinking? How does the heap of cells in our brains create our complex ideas and behavior? Join us as a BBB scholar for a pre-college experience to dive deep into neuroscience and psychology! BBB participants will conduct experiments and hands-on activities such as dissecting a real sheep brain, administering psychological tests and debunking popular myths in psychology. The program will blend interactive lectures and student discussions with laboratory time. Throughout the week, students will work towards a capstone project to summarize their work throughout the week as well as how to apply this newfound knowledge throughout their lives.

Any specific requirements for participants: All high school aged students welcome (14+)

Instructor: Dr. Jessica Hocking

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page

Camp Dates: July 15^th – July 19^th

Camp Purpose: This course will introduce students to higher level mathematics (what is frequently taught after the calculus sequence) by the means of discrete mathematics. While the concepts are challenging, they require little background knowledge and are quite accessible for high school students.

Camp Description: We will practice our mathematical problem solving skills by exploring problems of many types all within the broad category of discrete mathematics. We will practice forming arguments in number theory and set theory. Then we will see how to visualize problems using graph theory. Specifically we will dive into topological graph theory and use graphs to analyze combinatorial games.

Any specific requirements for participants: All high school students are eligible. The only prerequisite is algebra. Some understanding of geometry would be helpful, but is not required.

Instructor: Dr. Blake Dunshee

• You can learn more about these faculty on our Faculty Page