College for Kids
MC’s enrichment program for children to run June 15-26
Monmouth College’s popular student enrichment program, College for Kids (CFK), will return for its 35th year, June 15-26.
The annual program, which serves the needs of gifted and talented children in the area, is open to qualifying students who have completed second through eighth grade. Tuition is $150, and registration has been extended through May 7, due to overwhelming response.
Catalogs and registration materials are available in area school districts: Sherrard, Mercer County, West Central, Abingdon-Avon, ROWVA, United, Macomb, Immaculate Conception School and Monmouth-Roseville. Registration materials are also available online at http://ou.monmouthcollege.edu/about/college-for-kids/
Each participant takes three classes, choosing from such areas as fine arts, languages, computers, math, business, literature, writing, communication, logic, science and social studies. The classes begin at 9, 10 and 11 a.m., and students move on their own from building to building and classroom to classroom. In lieu of final exams, the last day of class is reserved for project-ending activities and an open house for parents. Course titles include such offerings as “Oh, Gee – It’s Glee” and “Kitchen Chemistry”
“We are excited this year to offer more new classes, including ‘Anne Frank’ and ‘Ancient Warfare,’” said CFK director Kathy Mainz, who noted that the majority of the CFK teachers are Monmouth College faculty or staff. “Classes are filling fast, so parents are encouraged to register soon.”
Other new courses include “Starlab,” which provides an inflatable planetarium for studying the stars, and a course about Dr. Who and historical figures titled “Wibbly, Wobbly, Timey, Wimey.”
The College for Kids program now draws more than 400 students, challenging them with collegiate experiences that are different from a regular classroom, explained Mainz.
“Instructors use teaching methods appropriate to a college classroom, including discussion, inquiry, laboratory and hands-on activities,” she said.
To be eligible for College For Kids, students need to meet one of the following criteria: be currently enrolled in a gifted/talented or enrichment program; have scored at the 85th percentile or better on standardized tests or “exceeds standard” on ISAT; have scored at least 115 on cognitive abilities test; have submitted a portfolio of fine arts works for assessment; or have enrolled in CFK in a previous year. Additionally, said Mainz, a student can be accepted if a parent or teacher fills out a gifted characteristics matrix for which the student receives a sufficient score.
For more information, contact Mainz at 309-457-2361 or kmainz@monmouthcollege.edu or visit www.monmouthcollege.edu/information/cfk. Mainz, who also serves as the college’s biology lab manager, has nearly 25 years’ experience working with gifted/talented students, and has directed Monmouth’s College for Kids program since 2008.
The annual program, which serves the needs of gifted and talented children in the area, is open to qualifying students who have completed second through eighth grade. Tuition is $150, and registration has been extended through May 7, due to overwhelming response.
Catalogs and registration materials are available in area school districts: Sherrard, Mercer County, West Central, Abingdon-Avon, ROWVA, United, Macomb, Immaculate Conception School and Monmouth-Roseville. Registration materials are also available online at http://ou.monmouthcollege.edu/about/college-for-kids/
Each participant takes three classes, choosing from such areas as fine arts, languages, computers, math, business, literature, writing, communication, logic, science and social studies. The classes begin at 9, 10 and 11 a.m., and students move on their own from building to building and classroom to classroom. In lieu of final exams, the last day of class is reserved for project-ending activities and an open house for parents. Course titles include such offerings as “Oh, Gee – It’s Glee” and “Kitchen Chemistry”
“We are excited this year to offer more new classes, including ‘Anne Frank’ and ‘Ancient Warfare,’” said CFK director Kathy Mainz, who noted that the majority of the CFK teachers are Monmouth College faculty or staff. “Classes are filling fast, so parents are encouraged to register soon.”
Other new courses include “Starlab,” which provides an inflatable planetarium for studying the stars, and a course about Dr. Who and historical figures titled “Wibbly, Wobbly, Timey, Wimey.”
The College for Kids program now draws more than 400 students, challenging them with collegiate experiences that are different from a regular classroom, explained Mainz.
“Instructors use teaching methods appropriate to a college classroom, including discussion, inquiry, laboratory and hands-on activities,” she said.
To be eligible for College For Kids, students need to meet one of the following criteria: be currently enrolled in a gifted/talented or enrichment program; have scored at the 85th percentile or better on standardized tests or “exceeds standard” on ISAT; have scored at least 115 on cognitive abilities test; have submitted a portfolio of fine arts works for assessment; or have enrolled in CFK in a previous year. Additionally, said Mainz, a student can be accepted if a parent or teacher fills out a gifted characteristics matrix for which the student receives a sufficient score.
For more information, contact Mainz at 309-457-2361 or kmainz@monmouthcollege.edu or visit www.monmouthcollege.edu/information/cfk. Mainz, who also serves as the college’s biology lab manager, has nearly 25 years’ experience working with gifted/talented students, and has directed Monmouth’s College for Kids program since 2008.