During the week of June 22-25, UNC Wilmington is helping 50 local middle and high-school students and their teachers learn how to develop Etoys that can simulate classroom experiments without costly equipment.

This summer workshop marks the second year of the USeIT partnership between UNCW and New Hanover, Pender and Brunswick County schools. USeIT creatively encourages student interest in STEM and information technology (IT) careers. IT is one of the fields projected to flourish as the economy recovers, but many American students lack an interest in IT careers.

The USeIT program is funded by a $1.18 million grant from the National Science Foundation, managed by UNCW faculty members Sridhar Narayan, Shelby Morge and Gene Tagliarini. To date, the group has worked directly with more than 100 students and 50 teachers, and the project teachers in turn, have worked to bring engaging STEM learning opportunities to more than 1,000 area students in grades 6-12.

USeIT incorporates a computer program named "Squeak" that enables students to create virtual models known as Etoys that simulate science and math experiments that would otherwise be too dangerous or costly to complete in the classroom, such as the replication of a virus. Several of the experiments designed by local students and teachers are included on the project web site and have been shared with people all over the world.

By request, media are invited to take advantage of visual and interview opportunities during hands-on workshops from 9:30-11:30 a.m. June 23-25 in the UNCW CIS building.

Web sites of interest:
http://www.csc.uncw.edu/Projects/squeak/
http://www.squeakland.org/

Media Contact:
Joy Davis, Marketing and Communications, 910.916.8603 or davisjc@uncw.edu