FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, Jan. 6, 2014
CONTACT: Mary Stadick Smith, South Dakota Department of Education, (605) 773-7228, mary.stadicksmith@state.sd.us

Applications open for National Youth Science Camp

Two South Dakota high school seniors will have an opportunity to travel to West Virginia this summer for the annual National Youth Science Camp, a residential science education program.

Two seniors from each of the 50 states and students from several other countries will receive full scholarships to attend the camp sponsored by the National Youth Science Foundation. Recipients will get to complete hands-on research projects and exchange ideas with scientists and other professionals from academia and industry during the nearly month-long experience, from June 27 to July 20.

The NYSC program covers a broad spectrum of natural, physical, and applied sciences including biology, physics, chemistry, math, geology, astronomy, environmental science, engineering, medicine, space science, and technology.

Participants spend most of their time at the camp in West Virginia. In addition, they spend three days in Washington, D.C. studying national science concerns in meetings with scientists and with behind-the-scenes visits to sites like NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the National Academy of Sciences.

Applicants must be South Dakota residents in their senior year of high school and demonstrate superior academic proficiency, particularly in math or science; eagerness to explore varied topics; and leadership abilities.

Applications are available at www.nysc.org and must be submitted online by March 1. For more information, contact South Dakota’s state selection coordinator, Sam Shaw at the South Dakota Department of Education, at (605) 773-5229 or sam.shaw@state.sd.us.

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