ABINGDON, Va., Sept. 26, 2012 – With so many recent successes under its belt, Kids’ Tech University is set to add yet another this October with the founding of a Kids’ Tech University program at the Virginia Tech Southwest Center in Abingdon, Va.
Designed for children ages 9 to 12, Kids’ Tech University teaches children about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects while providing them with valuable experience in a university setting.
The inaugural program will be held on Saturday, Oct. 27, and again on Saturday, April 20, 2013.
Center director Penny McCallum said “The Virginia Tech Southwest Center serves 18 school divisions in the far southwest region of Virginia. Kids' Tech University has been a huge success, and we are very excited to provide an opportunity for children in the Abingdon area to have exposure and experience in STEM subjects through the rich resources of Virginia Tech. This year, we plan to serve 100 boys and girls, ages 9 to 12. The plan is to expand this number in subsequent years.”
The program expands the center's offerings, which are currently focused on graduate programming and professional certificate programs. The Kids' Tech University program will be the first of its kind in the Abingdon area.
"Our long-term goal is to make this program easily accessible to all children in the commonwealth, and offer it as a resource for teachers and science educators. Facilities such as the Virginia Tech Southwest Center help us in achieving this goal, and we are very excited about this new endeavor,” said Reinhard Laubenbacher, director of education and outreach for Kids' Tech University.
The Oct. 27, program will focus on pattern recognition, with an interactive session led by Laubenbacher. In April, the session will introduce children to the exciting landscape of Antarctica with Cristina Millan. See the Kids' Tech University Abingdon website for more information and registration info.
Online registration begins Monday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m.
Kids’ Tech University is a groundbreaking program for kids between the ages of 9 and 12 that gives children the opportunity to enroll in university courses taught by established scientific researchers who also have a strong track record in the communication of science. The goal is to expose kids early to science, math, engineering, and technology subjects in a setting that children find both exciting and fun. The program serves as a new model for science education in the United States. A European educational program, Die Kinder-Uni, which was started a few years ago in Germany, is part of the inspiration for Kids’ Tech University. Kids’ Tech University offers real lectures by real professors in a real university setting.
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