CONTACT: Dan Murphy, 608-316-4656, dmurphy@morgridge.org

DOWNLOAD PHOTO: https://uwmadison.box.com/v/rural-summer-science

MADISON – As Wisconsin welcomes summer and embraces the sunshine, summer means one thing at the Morgridge Institute for Research: It’s camp season.

The Morgridge Rural Summer Science Camp, where rural high school students and teachers take a deep dive into science research over the course of a week, is expanding and offering a third week of camp this July thanks to new support from a National Science Foundation (NSF) project.

One more week of camp means an additional five teachers, 25 more high school students, and five more schools represented, including schools from the Upward Bound program that focus on underrepresented and first-generation pre-college students.

Dan Murphy, outreach coordinator at the Morgridge Institute, says the additional week allows for more attendees, as well as a bolstered experience with more opportunities for scientists to share their latest work with the community.

“This third week offers up more opportunities for people to get involved, and with new researchers come new activities,” Murphy says. “It’s very cool to see the camp evolve with the science each year.”

Sean Palecek, an engineering professor at UW-Madison whose lab has presented activities in the camp for more than a decade, sees the value in engaging communities in science outreach and was a core part of the camp expansion.

Palecek is part of the NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT), a large multidisciplinary center meant to stimulate growth of research related to cell-based therapies. It also has a strong education and outreach component that allowed for funding the camp.

“We wanted to take some of what we’ve been effectively doing and expand it with the Morgridge science camp,” Palecek says. “One goal that we’re working on is to try to bring some cell manufacturing flavor to the camp, and try to get the students to think about the applications.”

STORY CONTINUES AT https://news.wisc.edu/rural-summer-science-camp-expands-opportunities-curriculum-in-its-13th-year/

Watch a video of the 2018 camp at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=493GLOJd9Zc

NOTE TO EDITORS: The following schools will participate in July 2019:

July 8-11: Mercer High School, Pecatonica High School, and Forward Service Corporation (including Upward Bound West Math and Science in Milwaukee and Upward Bound Central Wisconsin).

July 15-18: Chequamegon High School, Solon Springs School, Crandon High School, Rib Lake High School and Mauston High School.

July 22-25: Eleva-Strum Central, Lancaster High School, North Crawford High School, Lakeland Union High School and Shullsburg School District.

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