Recommendations for a HS science trip?

Parents Forum
1

<p>Can anybody suggest a tour company, or trip itinerary, that would be a neat thing to bring about 15 high schoolers on for science or technology enrichment? This would be a group of minority kids in a pre-collegiate enrichment program (and there is a good budget). We’re looking for some new ideas, something really hands on - not just museums etc.</p>

<p>I have some information from an outfit called World Strides, so if anybody knows anything about them that would be helpful too.</p>

<p>Thanks for ideas!</p>

2

<p>how far do you want to go?
My older daughter went to Costa Rica- on a combination Spanish immersion/ecological preservation trip in high school with [Ecoteach](<a href=“http://www.ecoteach.com/”>Adventures in Costa Rica - EcoTeach International Trips)</p>

<p>( it also was her first plane trip ever!)
It was relatively inexpensive and a good experience</p>

<p>Younger daughters school helps implement technology abroad- it is an extensive program but you might get some info here.
<a href=“http://www.globalta.org/index.php[/url]”>http://www.globalta.org/index.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

3

<p>Check out Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. I took younger S to parent-child space camp when he was 8, and it was a wonderful experience. Very hands on. Had real rocket scientists and excellent secondary h.s. science teachers as the staff. I think there’s also a camp at the space center in Fla., but from what I had heard, the Huntsville camp was the better one particularly since the camp also had a cool, small amusement park that had rides based on space things.
<a href=“http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space[/url]”>http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also consider Sea World in Orlando if kids are interested in marine biology. It’s possible to hold workshops there and to get presentations by their staff. The negative, however, is that Sea World is owned by a beer company, and one sees lots of beer logos around including, I hear over the men’s urinal in the bathroom of the seminar area (where I recent was for a seminar).</p>

<p>Also contact Venture Scholars, which works with minority and first generation college students to encourage them to get involved in science careers. I suggest calling them to get some ideas: <a href=“http://www.venturescholar.org/[/url]”>http://www.venturescholar.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space[/url]”>http://www.spacecamp.com/category.php?cat=Space&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thanks! We probably would have to keep it in the US, east or south.</p>

5

<p>Weenie–is this an Upward Bound type program? UB is part of the federal TRiO programs, and many take trips similar to what you are looking for. (I belong to an SSS program, which is the undergrad version; we generally don’t do trips like that.)</p>

<p>Anyway, TRiO has a listserv where people discuss program issues. It’s pretty boring and esoteric much of the time, but if you joined it and posted your question there, you’d probably hear from a lot of people who’ve done similar things and can give you suggestions. The listserv can be joined here:<a href=“http://www.trioprograms.org/LISTSERV.html[/url]”>http://www.trioprograms.org/LISTSERV.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

6

<p>I literally just got an e-mail about this. Even though it’s a black organization, they probably would welcome your youth and may have good tips about other activities your kids could participate in.</p>

<p>The National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (known affectionately as NOBCChE) is holding its annual conference in Orlando,at the Orlando Grande Lakes Hotel Resort from April 1st to 7th. As they say on their website, it’s the only conference that hosts African Americans in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. The conference enthusiastically invites the participation of youth. To learn more, go to: <a href=“http://www.nobcche.org/index.cfm?pageId=AA8B9F4A-C09F-2715-73C428506F0B7621[/url]”>http://www.nobcche.org/index.cfm?pageId=AA8B9F4A-C09F-2715-73C428506F0B7621&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Younger D went to Hawaii- when she was in middle school with a high school class- the parents arranged it though- they did marine bio and camped .
From Seattle it wasn’t bad- but from anywhere else I think the plane fare would be prohibitive.</p>

<p>I bet you could find something in Florida- <a href=“http://marinebio.org/new.asp[/url]”>http://marinebio.org/new.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>Don’t know if this is what you are interested in, but we are taking senior D to Chicago for a couple of days, then visiting a school she was admitted to EA. There is an exhibit there called Body Worlds at the Museum of Science and Industry * <a href=“http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html[/url]”>http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html&lt;/a&gt; * and it is absolutely amazing. There are exhibits all over the country - one coming to Charlotte. You did say you didn’t want to go to a museum, but this exhibit is really different. A German anatomist has dissected human cadavers down to single body systems (circulatory, muscular, etc.) and then “plasticized” them. Sounds morbid I know, but a friend of ours who is the head of a college art department told us about it and she loved it! Also have an IMAX film that is suppose to be incredible.</p>

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<p>The “Bodies” exhibit that MidwestParent describes is excellent. I went along with my HS senior’s AP Bio class as a chaperone because I had heard so much about it. If it comes to your town, GO!</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Weenie, there’s SeaCamp in Key West that might be something your HS kids would be interested in. My kids went when they were in middle school, but they have programs for high schoolers, too.
<a href=“http://www.seacamp.org/default.htm[/url]”>http://www.seacamp.org/default.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;