summer camp Archives | Summer Youth Programs Newsblog

2020 Summer Youth Programs Cancelled

Published May 1, 2020

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In our 48-year history of delivering hands-on, engaging, discovery-centric Summer Youth Programs, we have faced and overcome many challenges. And yet, the global COVID-19 pandemic has tested us like never before. Alongside you and your families, we have confronted adjustments to new ways of living, working, and learning. With cautious optimism, adapting and adhering to ever-changing guidance from government and health officials, we continued planning for our Summer 2020 programs.

Unfortunately, in consideration of the totality of circumstances at present, we have ultimately made the difficult decision to cancel all Summer Youth Programs this year. This decision was not made lightly, and arose out of our fundamental, resolute commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our participants while also maintaining the high-quality experiences we have provided for generations.

Over the next few weeks, we will issue participants a full refund of all money paid to date to Michigan Tech. Your refund will be provided in the same method used to make your payment (credit card, online payment, or check). We are also directing our creative Summer Youth energy toward innovation — embracing possibility and exploring ways to virtually engage with you. Please stay tuned for more information about opportunities to connect and learn with us.

Scholarship Programs Deadline Extended to May 1

Published April 13, 2020

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The deadline for Michigan Tech’s Competitive Scholarship Programs has been extended until May 1. This is due to the COVID-19 outbreak and K-12 schools across the country moving courses online. The extended deadline applies to the following scholarship programs:

Competitive Scholarships
-Engineering Scholars Program
-Women in Engineering
-Women in Computer Science
-Junior Women in Engineering
Additional Scholarships
-Hemlock Semiconductor – ESP Scholarship
-3M -WIE Scholarship
-David and Thu Brule Scholarship
-McBride Remodeling Scholarship
-SYP Scholarship

Registration for SYP 2020 is now live!

Published December 17, 2019

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Program Updates

The holidays may be just around the corner, but here at Michigan Technological University, we can’t stop thinking about summer!

We are excited to announce that our 2020 Summer Youth Programs course catalog is NOW LIVE! We have several NEW courses this year, including:

Intro to Machine Learning
Transforming Sunlight into Energy
Engineering Psychology and Human Factors
U.P. Summer Theater Institute
Plus, we have over 50 other explorations in a variety of fields.

2020 Summer Youth Programs also brings the return of several middle and high school competitive scholarship programs:
Women in Engineering
Engineering Scholars Program
Women in Automotive Engineering
Junior Women in Engineering
Rail and Intermodal Transportation
National Summer Transportation Institute
GenCyber

Consumers Energy and DTE Help to Power Renewable Energy Summer Program

Published May 20, 2019

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Students at Summer Youth Programs love to get hands-on, dive into projects, and try new things. They harness their academic talents in creative ways by solving all kinds of problems. Excitement for STEM comes naturally to the kinds of people who are drawn to SYP: those with curiosity and a sense for how much fun science and engineering can be.

You know who else fits those descriptions? FIRST Robotics students!

Our friends at Consumers Energy and DTE see this connection, and this year we are fortunate to have them as a sponsor. 13 students from Michigan FIRST Robotics teams will receive scholarships to attend our Intro to Renewable Energy program in July. They were awarded during the FIRST Dean’s List and Championship Week events to students from all across the state.

During this class, students will explore renewable energy from batteries to hydroelectric dams, and discover how we harness energy in different ways. Activities may include building and racing solar-powered cars, touring a hydroelectric dam, and building their own turbine.

Zooming with the sun. — Students race solar powered cars as part of a challenge in the renewable energy course.

For Consumers, there is tremendous value to getting students engaged with a summer program like this.

Consumers Energy has boldly and courageously committed to a sustainable future through clean energy. In order to accomplish this, we must engage our students in experiences that will open their eyes to careers involving sustainable technologies. The Intro to Renewable Energy program will be an amazing opportunity for students to gain exposure in this area! We are proud to partner with Michigan Technological University to plant seeds that will yield the talent that will help us to realize this sustainable future!

Monique Wells, Consumers Energy

If this course sounds cool, don’t worry. There are still a handful of spots remaining in Intro to Renewable Energy if you would like to join us this summer! Check out more information on our website at mtu.edu/syp.

Introducing our 2019 SYP Head Staff Team!

Published April 17, 2019

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Behind the Scenes

As the start of Summer Youth Programs quickly approaches, we are very excited to introduce you to our 2019 SYP Head Staff team. This amazing group of Michigan Tech students take on additional leadership in the summer, including training during orientation, coordinating staff schedules, and problem-solving when the unexpected arises.

During the first few head staff meetings, they shared what they are most looking forward to this year. Here are a few of their thoughts:

I have been a counselor in the past and really enjoyed igniting students’ passion for STEM and asking them questions. I am looking forward to using my past experiences as an activity and day counselor to solve any issues and develop some new campus activities that are free/low cost for participants to try.

Grace Kluchka, Head Activities Counselor

Returning Head Operations Counselor Robert Lambert shared the value of being a second-year as a Head Counselor and third year member of the SYP staff.

I really enjoyed last summer as a head counselor and grew a lot as a leader and a person. This year I am starting with a better understanding of my role and bringing more experience and attention to details.

Mallory Benkert worked with SYP last year as a Student Coordinator; this year, she will bring those strong organizational skills to the leadership team as as Head Counselors’ Counselor. And, no, you didn’t read that wrong—although it is an odd job title! The HCC is in charge of scheduling, general check-ins, and any concerns from the staff members themselves.

I was motivated to apply to be on the leadership team so I can be more “in” the scenes than “behind” the scenes.

Zachary Smith and Skylar Callis also bring a summer of experience to their roles, and will both be taking on new perspectives within SYP. Zach worked at the front desk last year and will move into the Head Residence Counselor Role. Skylar, meanwhile, is taking on Head Operations with Rob after spending last year as a Residence Counselors.

As June approaches and final plans fall into place, we are very excited to work with this Head Staff and our full SYP team to bring another great summer of programs to you. We come back year after year, too, because as it turns out, we love this opportunity just as much as our students do. It’s so much more than a camp or class—it’s an experience. And for many, it’s life changing.

SYP Course Feature: From Idea to Market

Published March 13, 2019

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Attention students in 9-11 grades who have a business idea! Come and learn the innovation design process used by companies like Google and Apple to create the next great product or service. The “From Idea to Market” exploration will introduce you to the exciting world of design thinking… a human-centered process for developing innovative solutions to life’s messy problems.

Students will identify a problem they’d like to address and apply the design thinking process to create an innovative solution. From there, you will learn the basics of what it takes to start a business by applying the Lean Start-up process to develop a business model, you’ll pitch your idea to a panel of judges, and you’ll have an opportunity to market your ideas right here on campus. Each day of the week you’ll learn different innovation and business start-up skills through a variety faculty and student-led activities. No prior experience or knowledge is necessary to become a Michigan Tech SYP innovator and entrepreneur!

This course is offered in partnership with Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honor College and the School of Business and Economics.

Engineering Scholarships Expand to Answer Middle School Demand

Published January 15, 2019

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Program Updates

By Cyndi Perkins | Originally Published 4:42 p.m., November 20, 2018

JWIE

The traditional season of giving — both thanks and gifts — is upon us. What better time to look back on a summer scholarship surprise that opened doors for 40 young women interested in engineering careers?

For more than 40 years, Michigan Tech Summer Youth Programs (SYP) has been offering experiences that stretch the boundaries of more traditional camps and put STEM education into action through team projects, on-campus activities and field trips. One of the most popular programs is Junior Women in Engineering (JWIE). JWIE is one of several highly competitive scholarship-funded programs that covers tuition, room and board. In 2018, 60 middle-school students applied to JWIE, which historically accepts 20 students.

When ITC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jon Jipping heard about the overwhelming interest and demand in the program, he proposed a solution: ITC Holdings Corp., an electricity transmission company based in Novi, Michigan, volunteered to cover the $40,000 cost for the remaining 40 young women to attend JWIE and other SYP engineering programs (there are several experiences to choose from).

“Mr. Jipping didn’t want the first message these girls received in pursuing engineering to be a ‘no,'” said Amanda Jackson, assistant director at Michigan Tech’s Center for Pre-College Outreach, which operates the SYP explorations and other college access programs that bring science, technology, engineering and math to K-12 students around the country and the world.

“ITC has long recognized the need for more young women to enter the engineering profession. It’s programs like this that quench the thirst for knowledge and help place students on the path to academic — and professional — success.”Jon Jipping, ITC Holdings

A group of young women with the front row kneeling and smiling in summer clothing inside a building on a college campus. — Ashley Simpson has been a part of Summer Youth Programs in three roles now: camper, counselor and mentor. (Michigan Tech Center for Pre-College Outreach)

The company also sent an ambassador — 2009 Michigan Tech graduate Ashley Simpson, a human performance specialist with ITC, returned to Houghton to chat with SYP campers and share what it’s like to work for the largest independent electricity transmission company in the country.

“As an alum of Summer Youth Programs, I know what a difference it can make in the lives of young women,” said Simpson, who attended SYP as a high school students and returned as a counselor during her studies at Michigan Tech. “My hope is that programs like this continue to provide opportunities for young women to grow and succeed while at school, as well as after graduation.”Ashley Simpson, ’09

Read the complete original story by visiting the Michigan Tech news page.

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