- Rozovsky wins prestigious NSF Early Career Award
- UD students meet alumni, experience 'closing bell' at NYSE
- Newark Police seek assistance in identifying suspects in robbery
- Rivlin says bipartisan budget action, stronger budget rules key to reversing debt
- Stink bugs shouldn't pose problem until late summer
- Gao to honor Placido Domingo in Washington performance
- Adopt-A-Highway project keeps Lewes road clean
- WVUD's Radiothon fundraiser runs April 1-10
- W.D. Snodgrass Symposium to honor Pulitzer winner
- New guide helps cancer patients manage symptoms
- UD in the News, March 25, 2011
- For the Record, March 25, 2011
- Public opinion expert discusses world views of U.S. in Global Agenda series
- Congressional delegation, dean laud Center for Community Research and Service program
- Center for Political Communication sets symposium on politics, entertainment
- Students work to raise funds, awareness of domestic violence
- Equestrian team wins regional championship in Western riding
- Markell, Harker stress importance of agriculture to Delaware's economy
- Carol A. Ammon MBA Case Competition winners announced
- Prof presents blood-clotting studies at Gordon Research Conference
- Sexual Assault Awareness Month events, programs announced
- Stay connected with Sea Grant, CEOE e-newsletter
- A message to UD regarding the tragedy in Japan
- More News >>
- March 31-May 14: REP stages Neil Simon's 'The Good Doctor'
- April 2: Newark plans annual 'wine and dine'
- April 5: Expert perspective on U.S. health care
- April 5: Comedian Ace Guillen to visit Scrounge
- April 6, May 4: School of Nursing sponsors research lecture series
- April 6-May 4: Confucius Institute presents Chinese Film Series on Wednesdays
- April 6: IPCC's Pachauri to discuss sustainable development in DENIN Dialogue Series
- April 7: 'WVUDstock' radiothon concert announced
- April 8: English Language Institute presents 'Arts in Translation'
- April 9: Green and Healthy Living Expo planned at The Bob
- April 9: Center for Political Communication to host Onion editor
- April 10: Alumni Easter Egg-stravaganza planned
- April 11: CDS session to focus on visual assistive technologies
- April 12: T.J. Stiles to speak at UDLA annual dinner
- April 15, 16: Annual UD push lawnmower tune-up scheduled
- April 15, 16: Master Players series presents iMusic 4, China Magpie
- April 15, 16: Delaware Symphony, UD chorus to perform Mahler work
- April 18: Former NFL Coach Bill Cowher featured in UD Speaks
- April 21-24: Sesame Street Live brings Elmo and friends to The Bob
- April 30: Save the date for Ag Day 2011 at UD
- April 30: Symposium to consider 'Frontiers at the Chemistry-Biology Interface'
- April 30-May 1: Relay for Life set at Delaware Field House
- May 4: Delaware Membrane Protein Symposium announced
- May 5: Northwestern University's Leon Keer to deliver Kerr lecture
- May 7: Women's volleyball team to host second annual Spring Fling
- Through May 3: SPPA announces speakers for 10th annual lecture series
- Through May 4: Global Agenda sees U.S. through others' eyes; World Bank president to speak
- Through May 4: 'Research on Race, Ethnicity, Culture' topic of series
- Through May 9: Black American Studies announces lecture series
- Through May 11: 'Challenges in Jewish Culture' lecture series announced
- Through May 11: Area Studies research featured in speaker series
- Through June 5: 'Andy Warhol: Behind the Camera' on view in Old College Gallery
- Through July 15: 'Bodyscapes' on view at Mechanical Hall Gallery
- More What's Happening >>
- UD calendar >>
- Middle States evaluation team on campus April 5
- Phipps named HR Liaison of the Quarter
- Senior wins iPad for participating in assessment study
- April 19: Procurement Services schedules information sessions
- UD Bookstore announces spring break hours
- HealthyU Wellness Program encourages employees to 'Step into Spring'
- April 8-29: Faculty roundtable series considers student engagement
- GRE is changing; learn more at April 15 info session
- April 30: UD Evening with Blue Rocks set for employees
- Morris Library to be open 24/7 during final exams
- More Campus FYI >>
2:45 p.m., Sept. 8, 2009----“I'm surprised he doesn't sleep with the latest issue of Lego magazine in his bed,” says Zach's mother. Zach, a rising fifth grader, loved the Lego robotics at Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif. When he heard about the New Arc Academy, a summer day camp at the University of Delaware where the campers build and program Lego robots, he was, as they say, all over it.
Timothy, a rising sixth grader, loves animals and marine life. This is the second year he has grabbed the opportunity to go on a trip to Delaware Bay with knowledgeable guides to describe the marine life the campers caught in their seining net. And he liked computer programming using MIT's educational programming language, Scratch, and designing his own Web site.
Designed to offer a daily variety of activities to hold the interest of young potential scientists and engineers, and refined over 15 years of experience, the New Arc Academy enjoys family loyalty. Repeats are frequent and siblings are numerous. This year, as happens most years, there was a waiting list of applicants.
The New Arc Academy, for grades four to eight, is co-sponsored by the College of Education and Public Policy's Office of Educational Technology, the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. This year 60 students, one quarter of whom were girls, participated.
Certified teachers lead the campers in age-appropriate laboratory and field activities, while specialists in marine studies, engineering, computing, and educational technology help out in their areas of expertise. This year the theme for the two-week camp was marine science (always a hit), and the students spent two class periods dissecting sharks.
Thomas Pledgie, the program's founder and director, says the exercise of fine-tuning the curriculum for the age of the participants has been a particularly enjoyable part of the yearly effort. For example, when college-age engineering students design and build model bridges out of balsa wood and glue, they then test their designs by weighting the bridges until they break. It took only one summer to learn that the campers expect to take their bridges home intact. So a regular part of Pledgie's duties is giving all the bridges a coat of gray spray paint, after which they are sent home looking great but with their breaking strength unproven.
To register for next year, interested students can watch for updates and download a registration form by mid-March at the New Arc Academy Web site.
Article by George Mulford
Photo by Ambre Alexander