TERRE HAUTE — For more than 43 years more than 14,000 high school students have been able to explore what their future job could be like, experience college campus life and earn university credit during one-week seminars in the Summer Honors Program at Indiana State University.

This year high school students (in-state and out-of-state) from the graduating classes of 2013, 2014 and 2015 will once again find in Terre Haute this special one-of-a-kind program,  July 22-28 at the ISU campus. They can earn university credit, earn a scholarship to attend ISU and experience residence hall life — all while studying an academic interest chosen from among a variety of disciplines.

For many students, this life-changing program solidifies their career choices. For others, it is an opportunity to explore areas of interest that might otherwise go to the wayside, ISU Admissions Counselor and Summer Honors program coordinator Brooke Huser said.

For Kaitlyn Marler, a second-semester freshman from Kokomo, it was a determining factor in where she attended college and what she would study.

“It completely affected where I was planning on going to college. It is the reason I am here at Indiana State University.”

Marler studied Forensic Facial Reconstruction during the Summer Honors Program she took part in the summer before her high school senior year. “I chose it because I realized that I would be making faces on skulls — which was so completely awesome! And I was also slightly interested in anthropology at the time,” she said.

Marler has declared her major as psychology with a double minor in Spanish and criminology with plans to become a forensic psychologist/criminal profiler. “I feel that’s my calling in life,” she said.

Her experience with the Summer Honors Program spurred her on. “I received real college credit and a $1,000 scholarship as well. I would recommend this program to anyone. It totally helped me to know where I wanted to go in life,” Marler said.

Alexa Smith, a freshman at ISU and a Terre Haute resident, also took part in the program the summer before her senior year of high school. Being an elementary school teacher had always interested her, she said.

“I chose it [the Summer Honors Program Elementary Education Seminar] because I knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Smith said. “I just didn’t know what I wanted to teach, and so I thought I would start out at the elementary level to see if I liked what I would have to do for the rest of my life. I had a great time. I really got an understanding that what teachers do is no walk in the park.” Smith has declared her major in Elementary Education because of the program.

“I would recommend the Summer Honors Program to anyone who is looking to see what college will be like and what they could possibly be doing with the rest of their lives,” Smith said. “It’s a great program and you actually have college style classes and have assignments and get to work hands-on in a field of your choosing.”

“The program gives high school students the opportunity to experience campus life,” Huser said. “Students will live in a residence hall and eat in our dining halls. They really get a glimpse of what it means to be an ISU student and a college student in general.”

Along with the academic opportunity, students participate in events that are planned every evening.

“Getting to meet other high schools students from all over Indiana and the U.S. really excites the participants,” Huser said.

But the benefits do not cease after completing the program, she added. “If a Summer Honors participant later on chooses to come to ISU as a student, then they receive a guaranteed $1,000 scholarship. And the college credit they receive can be applied to an ISU degree or transferred to other select universities,” Huser said.

Huser has been able to see results of the program through several student workers in the Admissions office who attended the Summer Honors Program. “I think that the program really initiated their love for Indiana State University. Current ISU students that attended the program are involved in a multitude of campus organizations, have a passion for ISU, and several of the students have become a part of the Indiana State University Honors Program as well,” she said.

To be eligible for the program, high school students must have a least a “B” average or higher and be recommended by a teacher, counselor or principal. In some cases, students who have not attained a 3.0 cummulative GPA are still selected into the program based on strong recommendations.

The cost to attend is $375, which includes room and board and tuition. Students are required to stay on campus, living in air conditioned residence halls during the week to get the flavor of a college lifestyle.

The deadline for applications is June 1. However, Huser said students need to apply as soon as possible since, due to popularity, some seminars may fill and close before the June 1 deadline.



The Summer Honors seminars

Seminars in the ISU Summer Honors Program are conducted by the university’s most experienced faculty. This summer from July 22-28, they will include:

• Aviation Fundamentals — Students will explore the field of aviation and what it takes to become a pilot. They will learn to test basic aerodynamic theories through building and modifying a rubber band powered balsa wood flyer, fly flight simulators, perform airport inspections and pilot a Cessna 182 on a cross-country flight under a certified flight instructor.

• Basic Techniques of Cancer Research — Students will be taught introductory methods in modern biological research. Theoretical and practical techniques taught will help students throughout their training as researchers of the future. This is especially beneficial for students desiring to attend medical school or pursuing careers in the medical research field upon graduation.

• Digital Electronics — Students have an opportunity to learn how robots make decisions, how calculators work and learn what an electrical engineer does, along with many other questions. Students gain skills in basic electronics, logical thinking, problem solving and troubleshooting while seeking answers. Students are exposed to engineering design and troubleshooting. In addition, students are exposed to engineering design and troubleshooting techniqeus used in the electronic field, as well as becoming familiar with computer simulation software used to desing and test digital circuitry.

• Drugs, Pharmaceuticals, and Medicinals — In this seminar, students obtain an understanding of essential concepts related to drugs and bioactive compounds. Students learn about natural and man-made drugs and pharmaceuticals, and how they elicit their effects in man. Students also learn about prescription and the more familiar over-the-counter drugs. The seminar includes a classroom component and a hands-on laboratory component.

• Elementary Education— In this seminar, students explore the process, art and science of planning and implementing instruction for young children. After collaborating with peers and professionals to plan innovative learning activities for elementary students, participants will teach local elementary students in a summer program offered on the campus of Indiana State University.

• Forensic Facial Reconstruction — This seminar introduces students to facial reconstruction in the field of forensic science. Students learn and apply the same methodology professionals use to reconstruct a human face. As they complete their own facial reconstruction, students also become familiar with how this science makes valuable contributions to criminal investigations.

• Graphic Design and Photography — Students will be introduced to the disciplines and interrelationship of graphic design and photography while examining the potential for developing the look and feel of signage in a city setting, and keeping the visual identity and usability of their solutions appropriate to downtown Terre Haute.

• Health Careers: Nursing and Social Work — Students will be given an overview of health professions, with an emphasis on nursing and social work, having opportunities to learn through classroom settings and agency-based volunteer experiences, including visits to a variety of health and social service agencies in the community.

• Inside the Music and Entertainment Industry — This seminar introduces students to music business principles that infuse all aspects of today’s music/entertainment industry and enables students to explore career options in the music/entertainment industry. This seminar touches on aspects such as artist management, the record industry, music publishing, concert promotion and music retail/merchandising. Students apply their knowledge through practical exercises and music production activities. By the end of the seminar, students will have produced marketing materials, a collection of original audio tracks, and a music video.

• Interior Architecture/Design — This seminar introduces students to the discipline of interior architecture/design and showcases opportunities for success within this profession. Projects addressing the built environment will be based upon sustainable shelters that integrate beauty, accessibility, sustainability, and technical sophistication. In addition to these projects, other activities will include local architectural walking tours and a field trip to Indianapolis to visit architectural/design firms and explore related projects.

• Introduction to Multimedia — Students will study how mass communication has changed and will continue to change. Working in teams, students will learn techniques of filming, editing and post-production work.

• The Rise of China — This seminar will help students to understand the policies and strategies that have driven China’s emergence as a global power during the past 30 years, discussing the historical context behind China’s rise and examine some of the economic, political and security consequences of China’s rapid growth. Experiential learning opportunities will include a visit a local Walmart to see some of the consequences of China’s economic growth strategies, lunch at a local Chinese restaurant to gain insights into Chinese culture. And, finally, students will learn how difficult it is for the U.S. to develop an effective policy response to the rise of China by participating in a simulation exercise as members of the National Security Council.

• Saints and Sinners: The Middle Ages 500-1500 — This course will explore both the marvels and catastrophes of medieval culture, with a special focus on the Crusades, the Inquisition, daily life, Gothic cathedrals, universities, sainthood, heresy, technology, the Black Death and the arts. Through hands-on research projects, presentations, discussions, films, readings, lectures and field trips to local churches and monasteries, students should come to appreciate not only the complexities of medieval life, but the continuing legacies of the Middle Ages to their own lives as well.

• Sports Injury Prevention and Care — Through hands-on laboratory activities, participants will investigate the areas of sport epidemiology, injury prevention and emergency management. Students will be introduced to everything from physicals to wound care and from taping to emergency planning, all in relation to the world of sports injuries.

• Theater — Students will experience the collaborative nature of theater by acting, writing and producing their own evening of short plays to be performed for family and friends at the end of the week. Students will have the unique experience of seeing professional productions at Crossroads Repertory Theatre on the ISU campus, and have the opportunity to meet the actors, directors and designers of the shows.