Mad Science Academies at DCC

Release Date March 8, 2007

The Dutchess Community College Office of Community Services is offering Mad Science Academies for students in Kindergarten through six from June 25 through August 3 this summer. Each has a different weekly theme. Mad Science Academies are held at Taconic Hall at the DCC main campus in Poughkeepsie. Unless otherwise noted, tuition is $160 for the half day program running from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m. For students and parents preferring a full day program, Mad Science students can join the afternoon sessions of DCC’s Enrichment Academies, held in the same building, for an additional $82 a week. For information and registration, contact the DCC Office of Community Services at (845) 431-8904.

Robotics Academy for Grades 1 - 6

Explore the basic and complex technology used to design and build robots. Discover how machines and robots work and how they make our lives easier. Learn about simple machines, gear structure, battery wiring, motor principles, and electronic circuits. Experiment with different forms of locomotion. Build your very own robot and several other take-home projects. Separate sessions will be offered for different age groups - with several different age appropriate robots and machines to build and take home. Monday through Friday, June 25 through 29, with a second session July 30 through August 3. Register for course number ENC502.

NASA Academy of Future Space Explorers,

Grades 2 - 6

(4 Sessions) All NEW materials developed with the NASA Langley Center for Distance Learning. Take a voyage of discovery into the atmosphere and beyond. Explore planets, moons, and other space phenomena in our solar system. Examine the sun and other stars. Discover the difficulties of space travel and the challenges of living in space. Learn about the various technologies that make space exploration possible. Students will have lots of new projects to make and to take home. Note: No class 7/4/07. Mad Science is the ONLY organization licensed to use NASA material for summer academies and school programs. No class Wednesday, July 4. Tuition for this session only is $13. Register for course number ENC512.

Secret Agent Lab  Grades 2 - 5

(5 Sessions) Delve into the mysteries of forensic science! Discover different methods of secret writing and break our coded messages in a quest for treasure. Learn about DNA and begin to decode the secret code of life itself. Explore the world of optics and make your own camera obscura and kaleidoscope. Use chemistry to identify mysterious substances, and mix your own chemical reactions. During the last two days of the academy, team up with fellow students to investigate a disappearance of a fellow agent. All your observation skills will be needed as you collect and record the evidence necessary to solve the crime. Register for course number ENC510.

Anatomy Academy, Grades 2 – 5

This camp answers questions about the gross things inside all of us.  What is blood and how does it move around?  What is a scab?  Where does the food go after we swallow?  Why do we pass gas and burp?  Do we all have the same number of bones?  How does the brain control the rest of the body – or does it?  Explore the inner workings of the human body with fun activities and crazy games.  Multiple take-home projects each day. Register for course number ENC514.

Nature Academy, Grades K - 5

Explore the natural world and the adaptations that allow birds and beasts to thrive. A new and different fun take-home project will be done each day. Make plaster casts of animal tracks. Tie-dye t-shirts with vegetable dyes. Build a bird feeder and mix your own seed blend to attract specific bird species. Make recycled paper and test for acid rain. Construct a bug house for observing insects. Study the feeding habits of owls and dissect remains of their lunch. Learn about geology by growing your own crystal garden and breaking open your own geode. Register for course number ENC508

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