Rochester Institute of Tech Expands Kids on Campus Summer Workshops
A well-known summer program for children at the Rochester
Institute of Technology (RIT) has expanded its offerings this year
to include
such courses as video production, 3D digital graphics and even
traditional art.
For 32 years, the Rochester, NY, college
has been inviting students in grades 5-12 to its campus during the summer
for Kids
on Campus, a program of one- to two-week workshops. For many
years, the focus
has been on computer technology.
However, this summer the 870 students involved are
branching
out into a number of different areas and, in the 20 workshops available,
trying
out new activities like working on circuit boards, creating apps and
building Web sites.
"We have some technology expertise here and there's a
definite
market for it," said Assistant Provost Chandra McKenzie. "Equally as
important,
it allows us to build relationships with students and their parents in
the
community to give them a chance to experience RIT before they are
college age."
All the sessions are taught by Rochester Institute
faculty
members, graduates and current undergraduates.
One of those instructors this summer, sophomore
industrial
design major Mitch Dehond, participated in the Kids on Campus program
for seven
years before finally enrolling at RIT.
"My mother saw the summer classes were being offered
and
thought they'd be a good fit for me," Dehond said. "Now, I see students
in my
class and they're just a few years younger than me."
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.