Summer Science Programs

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CURENT offers numerous opportunities for K-12 students to become involved during the summer months. We create and collaborate on programs that promote science, math and engineering, and it is our goal that each student will find these events to be interesting, fun, and relevant.

Here are some examples of our summer collaborative programs:

Adventures in STEM: A Math, Engineering & Biology Camp for Middle School Girls (UTK)

  • A 1-week (9am-4pm) program offering 20 rising 6-7-8th grade girls the opportunity to explore engineering, math, biology, and environmental sustainability.
  • Students will divide time between CURENT and the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Tickle College of Engineering,  and NIMBioS, a biology research center on the UT Knoxville campus.
  • Activities include critical thinking & team-building projects, a local campus field trip to science labs and exhibits, and exposure to a variety of science, math, and engineering fields.

CURENT Smart Grid Camp (RPI)

  • Learn about how the electric grid is being adapted to incorporate renewable sources such as solar arrays and wind turbine farms.
  • Students will use a simulation tool to explore how the grid responds to loss of equipment and extreme power demands when these problems might lead to blackouts. A market experiment on pricing electricity is also part of the program.
  • In addition students will learn about computer networks and cyber security.
  • Students will work with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute faculty and graduate students on hands-on activities and go on a tour of the regional New York power grid manufacturing or control facilities.

Young Scholars Program (UTK)

  • CURENT’s Young Scholars Program (YSP) invites local high school students who excel in STEM classes to participate in research alongside CURENT graduate students and professors. The YSP students complete their research during a 4 week summer program which includes time for research and field trips. 
  • For more information about the YSP program, please visit the YSP website