UH offers science classes to high school students

A new "Science in Action" program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa this summer will give high school students a chance to explore subjects such as field botany and medicine in courses lasting a week or two.

"It’s all hands-on discovery," said William Chismar, dean of Outreach College at UH-Manoa. "The idea is not to make it like a class where they have to worry about grades and exams and competition. They can focus purely on the interesting parts of doing science."

The courses will be led by graduate students and faculty from the university, and the action will take place at venues ranging from Coconut Island to the Burns Medical School. The first sessions start June 10.

Four classes still have space available: Field Botany, focusing on Hawaii’s wetlands; Marine Microbiological Mysteries; Medical Diagnosis and Treatment; and Rediscovering Mathematics, including its applications in science. One course, Introduction to Marine Science Investigations, has already filled.

One goal of Outreach College is to use the expertise and resources of the university to benefit the community. Administrators decided to reach out to high school students and encourage them to consider science careers, Chismar said.

"We thought that getting access to research facilities at Manoa was a unique opportunity that they wouldn’t have anywhere else and that could be beneficial and intellectually fun for them," he said.

The courses are open to students now in grades nine through 12, and applicants are registered on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications have come from across the state and country, and as far as Belgium and Thailand.

Enrollment is capped at 20 for all but the medical course, which can accommodate more students.

"Our aim is to open their eyes to what a college major might look like, or a career," said Jenna Koma­tsu, assistant director of Summer Sessions at UH. "The earlier they find their passion and start working toward that goal, the better.

"I’m excited for our local kids to have this interaction with not only students from around the state and from different grade levels, but from the mainland and abroad," she added.

Tuition starts at $300 for most of the courses, and scholarships will reduce the cost for all students in this inaugural program. Chismar said the college plans to offer Science in Action next summer as well.

More information and applications are available at www.summer.hawaii.edu or by calling 956-9246.