VT College of Science Magazine Spring 2011 | Page 5

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Issue No.10 sPRING 2011

By Catherine Doss

The Center for Talented Youth is yet another way the College of Science and
the College of Engineering are addressing STEM education by getting students
interested in science and technology fields at a young age. The program, which is
run through Johns Hopkins University, provides extracurricular opportunities for
highly motivated middle- and high-school students who are passionate about
learning.
As a host school, Virginia Tech oversees the event as 100 youth in grades seven
through 10 and their parents spend a day on campus engaged in new learning
opportunities and topics that may be unfamiliar to them.
Thirty of the 100 participants were invited by the college from Richmond City and
Henrico County as a way to begin forging connections with school districts and
students who are often underrepresented on Virginia Tech’s campus, including
potential first-generation college students.
“We wanted to make the program accessible to the many talented students who
may not have had the opportunity to visit a college campus and experience science
outside of school,” said Shreya Mahajan, who helped organize the event.
This year, students were captivated by workshops in neurosciences, including a look
at brain cells under a microscope and using a hammer to clobber a Hokie football
helmet and measure the impact of its force.
CTY continued page 6

STEM

M a g a z i n e

PRogRaM HelPS YoUTH geT inSiDe THeiR HeaDS

S C i e n C e

Exploring
possibilities

Above: Dean Lay Nam Chang talks with one young
visitor at the Center for Talented Youth event.
Top: 100 highly motivated youth spent the day
learning about neurosciences and other topics.

S CIENCE T ECHNOLOGY
E N G I N E E R I N G M AT H