Applications due Wednesday, February 4.
Weekly meetings at RPI Thursdays, 4-6pm, Feb 26 – April 23.
Symposium Sunday, April 26.
Environmental Puzzles, Problems and Solutions
Students in grades 7-11 are invited to apply to RPI EcoEd’s Spring 2015 Secondary School Research Program. Students in this year’s program will be able to choose a research topic within a few different areas – related to environmental and global health, for example, to environmental disaster, or to sustainable computing and environmental visualization. Students will be encouraged to choose topics that remain deep puzzles for the broader research community.
Each secondary student will have an RPI student as a mentor, and will move through a structured process to delimit a research question and project from a broad area of interest. They will learn to assess the availability of supporting data, and to develop a research proposal. They will learn to identify, collect, organize, analyze, and present research resources.
Each student will produce a substantial written report (approximately 15 pages) and annotated bibliography. Results will also be presented as posters, and in oral symposium presentations.
Much of the research and writing will be done as homework, and students will be expected to meet deadlines.
The program is free, but space is very limited. One recommendation from a teacher is required. Applications (including a teacher’s recommendation) are due February 4. Applicants will be informed of their acceptance by February 11.
Each application must include the following 1) an application form (including contact information for a teacher who can provide a recommendation) 2) four brief (2-300 words) essay answers to the questions provided. The application form should be submitted sufficiently in advance of the February 4 deadline to allow time for the designated teacher to submit a recommendation. Once the application form is submitted, the teacher will receive a recommendation request through email. All application materials must be submitted by the February 8 deadline.
Please direct questions to Professor Kim Fortun at fortuk@rpi.edu.
Program Application