Reports the retrospective thoughts of 161 former participants of Saturday and summer gifted programs at Purdue University (Indiana). The programs offer enrichment and accelerated classes in all areas of the curriculum for children from age 2 through middle school. The programs' role in shaping career choices is discussed. (CR)

The Youth Services Director of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, NC, has involved the community in encouraging children to read with summer reading programs, story-telling festivals, author and illustrator visits to schools, family reading programs for babies through kindergartners, and a year-round middle school reading…

Two former staff members reflect on their feelings about the August 1995 closing of Bark Lake Leadership Centre (Ontario, Canada), which for 49 years had offered outdoor adventure and environmental education courses to youth and adults. They discuss their experiences as both students and teachers at the center, which helped shape their careers in…

A summer health careers program in rural North Carolina educates and recruits high school students into health professions. Collaboration between an Area Health Education Center, a local hospital, and schools makes the program successful. A week of classroom presentations is followed by up to 6 weeks of job shadowing. Seventy percent of the 160…

A 7-week summer program for college-bound American Indian students prepares them for college and trains them to become leaders. Through role playing a fictitious Native tribe, students encounter realistic dilemmas similar to those facing tribal governments and realize that tribal leaders' decisions involve many social and political issues…

The Navajo supervisor in the Office of Environmental Health in New Mexico identifies diseases and their risk factors, administers an injury prevention program, and ensures compliance with various health-related codes. She assists in the planning and direction of environmental health programs and public health education for local Navajo…

The Hunter Javits Collaborative Project to identify and support mathematics talent of urban students is described. Program components include weekly seminars for students with teacher mentors, a summer institute, teacher professional development, and parent involvement. Characteristics and outcomes for the 45 elementary and high school student…

Described is the relationship between a middle school and a medical school. Discussed are the background; selection, recruitment and enrollment of students; fostering teacher commitment and cooperation; curriculum design and implementation; student and parent involvement; and applicability to other settings. (KR)

The 115 African-American and other nontraditional medical students attending a summer program in study skills and academic preparation to promote achievement and retention were compared with 82 nonattendees on demographic and academic measures. Little difference was found in the groups, except that attendees felt the program helped them adjust to…

A pilot project provided a summer transitional experience from high school or two-year college into a comprehensive higher education institution to enhance the quality and increase the numbers of minorities attracted to teacher education programs. Project results were very positive. All enrolled students completed the program. (SM)

A three-year summers-only master of arts degree program in speech language pathology (SLP) at New Mexico State University allows speech language pathologists working in rural schools to obtain their master's degree and fulfill state waiver requirements. Program addresses educational needs of nontraditional graduate students and improves the…

Energy Express is a summer reading and nutrition program for disadvantaged young children in 80 rural West Virginia communities. College student/AmeriCorps mentors support childrens' literacy by creating a print-rich environment, using a place-based curriculum, and providing activities, including a community service project. Two case studies…

A summer professional development institute introduces middle school teachers to interdisciplinary work and development of local place-based units. Teachers learn to develop a common experience, use tools of inquiry for their own discipline, communicate their findings, and respect both disciplinary and shared interdisciplinary understanding.…

Discusses the importance of considering the role of students' social environments in determining how students will participate in mathematics classroom activities and what kinds of connections can be made to life outside the classroom. Argues that these issues may be particularly important for students in urban environments who are not sheltered…

Evaluation of a summer transition program at the University of Kansas found that, in general, participation did not have a significant effect on students' later grade point averages or retention rates. However, for students with lower academic preparation, there was a significant improvement in academic and social self-efficacy. Qualitative…