UpDate - Vol. 16, No. 3
September 19, 1996
Science Fest introduces students to college life

     The first Summer Science Fest, held Aug. 19-23 at the
University, introduced high school students with disabilities to
college life and also included computer training, Internet
exploration and aerospace activities.
     Eighteen students were introduced to such Internet tools as
e-mail, newsgroups, the World Wide Web and video conferencing.
They also gained experience in conducting research, developing
problem-solving and networking skills and cooperating with
others.
     The participants came from Delaware, New Jersey and
Pennsylvania.
     The summer program was sponsored by the Science, Engineering
and Math (SEM) program of the University's Applied Science and
Engineering Laboratories. The SEM program, funded by the National
Science Foundation, develops programs designed to encourage
students with disabilities to pursue scientific careers. The SEM
program also conducts research on computer and information access
issues related to disability.
     According to Ken Barner, SEM program director, "The Summer
Science Fest was a big success. The students learned valuable
research and computer skills and were exposed to the types of
problems engineers work to solve. The success of this summer will
be built upon through a series of workshops during this school
year and continued next summer."
                                                    -Ed Okonowicz