Walters State Summer Math and Science Camp Now Taking Applications

Walters State’s summer math and science camp is now taking applications. The camp is designed for current seventh and eighth graders. The camp is free, but a limited number of spaces are available at all campuses.

The camp will be July 14-18 at Walters State campuses in Morristown and Greeneville. From July 21-25, the camp moves to the Sevier County Campus and the Claiborne County Campus. Camps meet from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. each day.

“We want to introduce students who have potential in math and science to the college atmosphere,” explained Dr. Julianna Gregory, coordinator of mathematics at the Sevier County Campus and professor of developmental mathematics at Walters State.

The camp began in 2009 and has grown each year. The activities are designed to encourage middle school students in math and science. Funded by a grant, the camp’s ultimate goal is to attract students to careers in math- or science-related fields from groups currently under-represented. This includes students whose parents did not complete college, minorities, low-income students and females. The camp is part of the college’s diversity and access initiatives.

“Hopefully, this camp will inspire students to take more math and science classes in high school and be better prepared for those courses,” Gregory added. The camp will also show how much fun math and science can be. Students will learn about the role math and science play in crime scene investigation, do a scavenger hunt, and learn how to work with numerical data.

“This won’t just be sitting in a classroom listening to a teacher. Everything will be active learning,” she explained.

Gregory said the camp is open to students from the college’s ten-county service area: Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hancock, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Sevier and Union Counties. Students from any of these areas are eligible to apply.

Students will receive a free T-shirt. Lunch and snacks will be provided during the camp. The camp also includes a field trip to the ETSU and General Shale Natural History Museum and Gray Fossil Site.

Applications are available online at www.ws.edu/academics/mathematics/resources or by contacting Tammy Holt at (423) 585-6864 or Tammy.Holt@ws.edu. To apply, students should ask a math teacher for a letter of recommendation.

Applications must be postmarked by May 2.

In addition to Gregory, camp leaders are Elena Owen, assistant professor of math and physics; Dr. Kay Moneyhun, coordinator of mathematics for the Greeneville/Greene County Campus and professor of mathematics; Dr. Crystal Rice, associate professor of mathematics; Dr. Matthew Smith, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. William Sproat, associate professor of biology.

For more information, contact Gregory at Julianna.Gregory@ws.edu or (865) 774-5809.