Program Description

Smith College

Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program
Northampton, Massachusetts


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Gail E. Scordilis, Ph.D., Director
Educational Outreach
Clark Hall
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts 01063
413-585-3060
Fax: 413-585-3068
http://www.smith.edu/ssep/
E-mail: ccooke@smith.edu

Type of Program: Enrichment programming in science and engineering for girls
Participants: Girls, grades 9–12
Program Dates: June 28 to July 25
Head of Program: Dr. Gail E. Scordilis, Director

Location

Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, in the scenic Pioneer Valley of western New England. The 125-acre Smith campus is situated a short walk from downtown Northampton (population 31,000), and it is bordered by the natural beauty of the Connecticut River, the Holyoke Mountain Range, and the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.

Background and Philosophy

Girls in high school with dreams of pursuing a career in science, engineering, or medicine should make the 2009 Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP) part of their plan. A month in the summer at Smith gives students an exceptional opportunity to do science and engineering, enhance their skills, boost their confidence, and connect with professionals who support their efforts. Students also make great new friends from all over the world who share their interests. Since 1990, more than 1,400 high school girls representing forty-six U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and fifty other countries have participated in this innovative program. After the program, participants report that they return to high school better prepared to tackle tough science courses and better informed about what to expect in college.
Smith College is one of the top-rated liberal arts colleges in the U.S. and the nation’s largest college dedicated solely to the education of women. Housed in the multibuilding Clark Science Center, the Smith science faculty includes some of the finest researchers and teachers in the country. Smith undergraduates don’t just hear and read about scientific research, they are active participants. As a result, for more than seventy-five years, Smith has ranked in the top 3 percent of 519 private colleges in the number of graduates who have gone on to earn Ph.D.’s in science. In 1999, Smith became the first women’s college in the nation to establish its own program in engineering science, the Picker Program in Engineering.
Students don’t have to wait until college to experience the benefits of a Smith education. The summer of 2009 marks the twentieth year of the Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program. The SSEP extends the benefits of Smith’s strong traditions to girls still in high school. Participants in the summer program are taught by Smith faculty members, live in a college house alongside Smith undergraduate interns, and have access to all campus facilities. Central to the program is a learning community that is rich in role models, cooperative, hands-on, minds-on, investigative, and challenging—where girls get all of the faculty’s attention, all of the opportunities, and all of the encouragement to achieve their best.

Program Offerings

The 2009 SSEP runs from Sunday, June 28, through Saturday, July 25. All SSEP participants give two oral presentations of their work, one at the midpoint of the program (Friday, July 10, and Saturday, July 11) and a second at the conclusion of the program (Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25). At the conclusion of the program, parents and family members arriving to pick up their daughters attend the final student presentations and share in their accomplishments. The presentations are followed by a family/student/faculty lunch that concludes the summer program.
Unlike regular school classes, SSEP research courses emphasize asking questions and learning by doing, not listening and watching. During their monthlong stay on campus, students take two 2-week-long courses. A maximum of 16 students work alongside a Smith faculty member, who is assisted by an undergraduate intern. Informal lectures in the laboratory and field provide students with the basis for asking experimental questions; then they learn how to do real experiments. Most of the work is carried out as a cooperative team effort, with ample opportunities for individual contributions. SSEP participants learn how scientists and engineers formulate questions, work on some amazingly sophisticated scientific instruments, and develop valuable critical-thinking and analytical skills.
Research courses for the 2009 program include investigations in astronomy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry, engineering and design, women’s health, and writing. SSEP courses are designed to be relevant and interesting. In courses such as Your Genes, Your Chromosomes: A Laboratory Course in Human Genetics, The Music in Engineering, and Women and Exercise: A Biochemical Investigation, SSEP participants explore their world in new and intriguing ways. In addition, Experiment and Exploration: A Laboratory for Writers is an intensive SSEP course that offers students individualized instruction to strengthen their writing skills. Participants in the 2009 SSEP may also choose to join a group of researchers from Smith, the YWCA, and Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center who are investigating young women’s health issues. These student researchers contribute to the Web site ByGirlsForGirls.org and help to disseminate important information about teen health to girls around the world.

Enrollment

Enrollment in the program is limited to 100 to ensure the quality of the academic experience offered. Eligible candidates are academically talented girls who will be entering grades 9–12 in fall 2009. In all of its programming, Smith is committed to reaching a diverse student body. In the 2007 SSEP, approximately 40 percent of participants identified themselves as members of minority groups.

Daily Schedule

On a typical weekday, students eat breakfast from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., are involved in 2 to 3 hours of investigation in the morning, break for lunch at noon, and then return to their research for 2 to 3 hours in the afternoon. On average, participants spend 120 contact hours working with faculty members.
Dinner each evening is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Throughout the program, discussions occur with faculty members on exploring career opportunities in science, engineering, and medicine. In addition, the Smith Office of Admission sponsors workshops that support students at different stages of the college planning process.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

In addition to doing great science, the SSEP is about making new friends and getting a taste of college life. Smith’s 125-acre campus is beautiful, with traditional ivy-covered buildings, magnificent gardens, and a pond named Paradise. SSEP participants live together in one college house along with SSEP interns, who serve as supervisors, advisers, and teaching/research assistants, and SSEP residential directors, who are in charge of all aspects of students’ residential life. All meals are served in the house dining room. During free time, participants can choose from organized sport, recreational, and cultural activities or be on their own with friends from the program. Smith’s superb athletic facilities include two gymnasiums, an indoor pool, indoor and outdoor track and tennis facilities, squash courts, a horseback-riding arena, a dance studio, a croquet court, a climbing wall, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. Weekend activities include local arts festivals, museums, and theatrical performances throughout the Pioneer Valley. Participants enjoy hikes to local nature preserves, movie nights, and the annual SSEP talent show. Also located within easy walking distance of the campus in downtown Northampton are a varied selection of shops, restaurants, and movies. The program fee covers the costs of all organized program activities and field trips.

Staff

The Program Director is Dr. Gail E. Scordilis, an alumna of Smith and a member of the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Leslie Jaffe, Director of Smith College Health Services, is the SSEP Health Consultant. Smith College faculty and academic staff members instruct participants in the SSEP. For every 10 students enrolled, there is a Smith undergraduate intern who serves as a residential counselor and research/teaching assistant to the faculty. Two residential directors, who are trained in residential life management, live on-site and supervise the undergraduate staff.

Medical Care

Upon acceptance, all SSEP participants are required to submit a prescription medication form and a medical information form detailing their relevant medical histories, insurance information, and parental consent for care. Medical care is provided for program participants by a group of local physicians who specialize in pediatric and adolescent medicine. In addition, Smith is only a few miles from Northampton’s Cooley Dickinson Hospital and convenient to Springfield’s extensive Bay State Medical Center.

Costs

The fee for participation in the 2009 Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program is $4550 and covers the cost of all program materials, activities, and room and board.

Financial Aid

Partial to full financial aid is available to a limited number of participants and is awarded solely on the basis of demonstrated financial need. The SSEP is supported in part by grants to Smith College from the Bechtel Foundation; Ford Motor Company Fund; Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Motorola Foundation; Osram Sylvania, Inc.; S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation; and Young Women’s Leadership Foundation. More than 45 percent of 2008 participants received financial aid. Students requesting financial aid must complete the financial aid application, found on the reverse side of the SSEP application.

Transportation

Smith College is located in Northampton in the Connecticut River valley of western Massachusetts. From I-91, students should take Exit 18 and follow the signs to Route 9, which leads directly to the campus. Bradley International Airport, 33 miles south of Northampton on I-91, is the nearest airport. Major train and bus lines also serve the area.

Application Timetable

The 2009 SSEP is open to academically talented girls who will enter grades 9–12 in fall 2009. Enrollment in the program is limited to ensure the quality of the academic experience. Admission to the SSEP is selective and is based on academic performance in middle and/or high school, teacher recommendation, and a written essay. Applications from students with all levels of previous science training are welcome. Students need not have taken advanced science courses, but they must have a strong record of academic achievement, a high level of motivation, and a willingness to explore. There are two deadlines for application, an early admission date of March 1 and a regular admission date of May 1. The program receives approximately three times the number of applications needed to fill the 100 program slots, so early application is urged.