Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WPI Launch Program
Worcester, Massachusetts

For More Information, Contact
WPI Launch Program
100 Institute Road
Worcester, Massachusetts 01609-2280
508-831-5286
Fax: 508-831-5875
http://www.wpi.edu/+launch
E-mail: launch@wpi.edu

Type of Program: Academic enrichment
Participants: Coeducational, students entering grades 9 and 10
Enrollment: 50–75
Program Dates: July and August 2007 (Exact dates to be announced)
Head of Program: Julie Chapman, Associate Director of Admissions

Location

WPI is situated on 80 acres in Worcester, Massachusetts, New England’s second-largest city. The campus, which is surrounded by parks and residential neighborhoods, is located 1 mile from downtown. Students have access to WPI’s facilities, including the Gordon Library, campus center, and state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment.

Background and Philosophy

For the past twenty years, WPI summer programs have been enthusiastically attended by hundreds of young people. WPI Launch is distinguished from the school’s other programs by its focus on current laboratory techniques and unsolved problems in biology, chemistry, computer science, and robotics. This program challenges students to explore the outer limits of knowledge in these fields. Students attend workshops and do lab work in their chosen area of study. With classmates, they work on projects and assemble their findings. Students learn from outstanding WPI instructors and students and use state-of-the-art experimental, analytical, and computer technology.

Program Offerings

Biology—Homegrown Biotech: Biotechnology in Everyday Life Students explore the ways in which the field of biotechnology affects their everyday lives. Working in WPI’s biotechnology lab, students have a chance to conduct a forensic investigation, create root beer using fermentation, or analyze the foods they eat to see if they have been genetically modified. Students carry out their own scientific investigations and share their findings in a presentation at the end of the week.
Chemistry—The Magic of Chemistry This is the program for those who have wanted to be mad scientists, with bubbling flasks of colored concoctions spread before them; or those who want to engineer DNA or proteins. In WPI’s chemistry lab, students alter liquids at the flick of a wrist, change ordinary pennies into gold, and cut and splice genes to create creatures that glow. While this might sound like magic, the science of chemistry and biochemistry makes it possible. Students learn about chemistry and biochemistry and then prepare their own “magic show” to demonstrate what they have learned.
Computer Science—Computer Games Students who are interested in how computer game are made find this to be the right program for them. They learn how to use a computer language to create programs with graphics, sound, and animation. Working in teams, they undertake hands-on lab exercises to understand important computer science topics. By the end of the week, students will have created a project demonstrating their newfound skills with cool graphics and amazing animation, complete with a soundtrack.
Robotics—Robot Design and Operation Participants discover the science and technology of the exciting field of robotics during this program. They learn about mechanical design, sensors, and programming and build designs using Vex robots and program them using EasyC. Challenging robotics problems culminate in a competition between student groups at the end of the week.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Location

Background and Philosophy

Program Offerings

Enrollment

Daily Schedule

Staff

Medical Care

Costs

Transportation

Application Timetable