July 18, 2005
Young Geniuses Spend Summer Expanding Minds During DMC Prefreshman Engineering
Camp
Youth to demonstrate projects ranging from straw bridges and robot cars to
physics experiments tomorrow on East Campus
WHO: Nearly forty (40) youth ranging in ages 12 to 15 who are participating
in the 2005 Corpus Christi Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) at Del Mar
College
WHAT: Project Demonstrations by Participants of 2005 PREP Camp
WHEN: 1-3 p.m., Tuesday, July 19 (Tomorrow)
WHERE: Room 307 (bridge building, robots and engineering) and Atrium
(egg drop contest)
Solomon Coles Classroom Building, Del Mar College East Campus, Staples to Kosar
to Naples (map available at www.delmar.edu/maps/east.html)
VISUALS: Students discussing what they have learned during the 2005 Summer
PREP Camp as well as demonstrating how their engineering and physics projects
work. Engineering projects highlights students’ building skills of straw
bridges and robotic cars using small motors and transmissions that should demonstrate
design strength and speed. Additionally, students will demonstrate devices they
designed and built to protect eggs when dropped from three stories to a hard-surfaced
floor.
FYI: Most young students between ages 12 and 15 spend their summer vacations
out of the classroom. But for nearly 40 local junior high and high schoolers,
this year’s summer vacation has meant spending five hours each day for
nearly eight weeks solving mathematical problems, designing engineering wonders
and learning about computer operating systems and languages. These dedicated
students are participating in the Corpus Christi Prefreshman Engineering Program
(PREP) at Del Mar College–the local site for TexPREP.
These dedicated young geniuses will graduate from the program on Wednesday,
July 27, at 7 p.m. in the College’s Wolfe Recital Hall, located in the
Fine Arts Center Music Building, Ayers at Kosar.
“Students who participate in the program improve their studies in math,”
says Dr. Youseff Bet Shahbaz, Del Mar assistant professor of mathematics and
director of the College’s PREP camp. “Participants have an opportunity
to learn about engineering, computers, logic and problem solving.”
The program provides educational enrichment opportunities for talented junior
high and high school students interested in pursuing science-based careers.
The PREP curriculum emphasizes study and research work in mathematics, computer
science and engineering with an overall objective of increasing the number of
students who will pursue engineering, science, technology and mathematics studies
when they attend college.
Among the program’s special activities this year, students took field trips
to learn about career opportunities using what they have learned about engineering
and physics. Trips have included visits to Houston to tour the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center.
CONTACT: Dr. Youseff Bet Shahbaz, Department of Mathematics and Physics,
at 361/698-1238 or Jaime Garcia, adjunct instructor and program assistant, at
361/698/1532
-DMC-rlr