For release week of June 8, 1998

Rocky Mount, NC June 15 begins three weeklong sessions of Scientific Summer ‘98 at North Carolina Wesleyan College. Every year for the past 13 years, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders have invaded the Rocky Mount campus to come to funfilled daycamps about SCIENCE AND MATH?!!! Yes, these are learning camps and the professors and instructors at Wesleyan make science and math fun for these campers.

First of all, the kids get to work with college professors, and participate in interesting, hands-on experiments and activities, including working with live animals and insects, fossils, plant life, interactive computer programs that tie together environmental aspects of the other classes, statistics and the metric system, composing and desktop publishing. They make their own brochures on computers. They learn how to use microscopes, computers, and other real laboratory equipment. In the chemistry lab they make superballs. They take away t-shirts and pocket magnifiers, a certificate, and an increased interest in, and appreciation of, science and math.

This year marks the 4th year that Amoco Fiber Corporation locally are giving scholarships to Scientific Summer to 5th & 6th graders. Also for the first time, a group of parents at O.R. Pope Elementary are funding a scholarship.

The brainchild of Wesleyan Professor Emeritus Arch Sharer, the daycamps have continued to be successful since their inception. "It’s really quite exciting," said Dr. Sharer. "The children learn things they can carry on to school and everyday life. Older kids are exposed to a little deeper investigation and examination of materials and research-and-study methods. They can carry on their own little investigations at home or in school later on. We try to make it so it stimulates thinking and the ongoing thought process: how do people do science?"

Dr. Sharer teaches life science. He is joined by Gail Stafford and Carol Lawrence teaching math, Dr. Deborah Glover-Fischer teaching physical science, Pam Bodiford teaching computer science, and three student assistants, Melissa Smith, Leigh Ann Owens, and Robin Fleming. The average camp day is made up of four 80-minute classes in computers, math, physical science, and life science. Every day there are mid-morning refreshments, bag lunches the kids bring, and an activity period. Activities include games at the student activities center and tours of the residence halls and the library. All activity is supervised; student assistants are with the campers the whole time they are on campus.

"Parents have always complimented the program," said Dr. Sharer. "Sometimes they want it to run longer. Some people have called to see if we would do a residential program."

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