Parents Can Put SPARK in Lives of Sixth- Through 10th-Graders With New Summer Program At Rutgers for Kids
Students in grades six through 10 will be sharing educational and fun experiences with the usual college-age crowd if they enroll in the inaugural Summer Program at Rutgers for Kids, or SPARK, three-week sessions designed for youngsters to explore and learn in an exciting, diverse and academically inspiring atmosphere. The weekday program is limited to 200 children per session. Sessions will run from July 9 to July 27 and from July 30 to Aug. 17.
The Cook Campus Center, off Route 1 South in New Brunswick, will be the hub for activities. Parents will leave their children between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. and pick them up between
5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuition will include breakfast, lunch and snacks, as well as books and supplies.
Preregistration is ongoing, and SPARK is inviting applications for staff positions, especially from middle and high school teachers, said Rosa Salgado-Rodriguez, assistant director of Rutgers Summer Session, which oversees the new program. Information, including fees, is available at www.spark.rutgers.edu, by calling 866-640-0162 or sending e-mail to spark1@rci.rutgers.edu.
Unlike their school-year regimens, sixth- and seventh-graders (Pages), eighth- and ninth- graders (Squires) and 10th-graders (Knights) will have no tests, quizzes or homework to deal with. Children will select from a wide range of academic courses stimulating and encouraging curiosity, interest and a passion for learning inside and outside the classroom, Salgado-Rodriguez promised. Our emphasis is on fun-filled, hands-on learning.
Pages and Squires will choose two full courses in the morning and two mini-courses or activities in the afternoon. Knights schedules will be reversed. Day trips are scheduled Fridays. Mini-courses might be scaled-down versions of full academic courses, extracurricular activities or a discovery of something fresh, original and diverse, Salgado-Rodriguez said.
Creative Cartooning, World Histories and Mysteries, Un Viaje a Mexico and CSI are examples of art, history, language and science courses for Pages. Digital Photography, Web Design, Guitars and Politics, and Weather Watching are respective art, computer, history and science courses for Squires. Just the Facts Please, Reel History, DNA and You and Respect for Money are representative English, history, science and math selections for Knights.
To work off their energy, students can try two levels of Cheerleading, Introduction to Wrestling and Yoga for Teens. Swimming is another option in the Cook/Douglass Recreational Center Pool. The center also offers a fitness/weight training area, multipurpose gym, racquet/wallyball and tennis courts, a roller hockey complex and sand volleyball courts.
Contact: Steve Manas
732-932-7084, ext. 612
E-mail: smanas@ur.rutgers.edu