Denver Area Youth Services (DAYS), a community-based non-profit organization serving predominantly minority children, youth and families in Denver, Colorado, submits this proposal to sponsor a 4- week Summer Science Camp for 50 minority children entering 7th and 8th grade. Most will be students who will be enrolling in the Denver youth Academy, a new charter public middle school for at- risk students that is scheduled to open in Fall, 1995. Two-thirds of the target population are Latinos, about 30% African-American and the rest Native American, all minority groups that experience high drop-out rates, low college enrollment rates and that are dramatically underrepresented in math and science fields in Colorado and nationally. The Camp represents a unique collaboration of a community-based agency that has access to and credibility with the minority community, and two premier institutions of science education-Regis University and Children's Museum of Denver. Regis University will provide the Principal Investigator for the project, Dr. Jim Giulianelli, as well as develop and facilitate the classroom learning activities for the first week of the Camp. The Children's Museum of Denver will develop and facilitate the classroom learning and research activities for the second and third week of the camp. Youth in the Camp will thus be exposed to a university campus, as well as to a family-friendly environment for practicing science that they and their families can continue to access on an ongoing basis throughout the year. The Camp will conclude with a week long residential experience at a campsite in a national park in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. The Camp will provide a rich experience of integrated classroom instruction, experiments and research activities that will be documented in the student's Science Journals. Extensive Career Exploration activities will be woven throughout the four weeks through field trips to businesses and government agencies, meetin gs with individual scientists, guided career research, and other group activities. Mentors will include: university professors; science teachers; minority high school, undergraduate and graduate students in math and science programs serving as Camp Counselors; and volunteer scientists and engineers. Student support activities include numerous family involvement activities, peer support, and ongoing involvement of the campers with the Denver Youth Academy.
