Project Director Sara Tuke discusses internships.
University of Maryland’s High School/High Tech Young Scholars Program held their kickoff event for five new students and their families on Sunday, July 9, 2006. The Young Scholars Program consists of a three-week pre-college experience for high school students, in which students take one college-level course (earning 3 college credits), live on campus in the dorm, and participate in social and recreational activities as well as seminars to acclimate them to life on a college campus.
After enjoying pizza and sodas courtesy of Papa John’s, High School/High Tech Young Scholars students were provided with a wealth of information specifically related to the needs of students with disabilities, including dorm access, connecting with mentors, selecting an internship site, who to contact if there is a problem, and Disability Support Services (DSS). They were then given the opportunity to schedule their initial appointment with Disability Support Services, with the recommendation that their first appointment should take place after they have attended one session of their class so that they could get a sense of what accommodations they might need (e.g., they would not need extended time on tests if tests are all take home).
Student and parent meet with DSS staff.
Students were then joined by other Young Scholars Program participants to hear about the exciting opportunities that will be taking place on campus over the next three weeks. This year’s High School/High Tech class consists of students from Walter Johnson High School and Gaithersburg High School in Montgomery County, Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George’s County, and Kennedy Krieger High School in Baltimore. Student’s career interests vary from Biological Sciences to Computer Programming to Engineering, so they will be taking classes in Technology and Biology. After their 3-week college experience, these students will then be placed in internships with such local employers as NOAA, NASA, NIH, and within various departments at the University of Maryland College Park Campus. These internship experiences will give the students the opportunity to explore their chosen career. We wish the 2006 class much success in making that positive career choice!
2006 High School/High Tech Young Scholars Class