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SSP – Not Your Typical Summer Camp

July 25, 2008

This summer, more than 300 rising eighth, ninth and tenth graders from 40 South Carolina counties took part in the ever-popular Summer Science Program (SSP), a one-week summer camp designed for middle and high schoolers interested in science, math and technology.

Popular camp choices included Robotics, CSI-GSSM, Infection and Immunity, Marine Biology and A Mathematical Tour of Forensic Science. Students were taught by professors from colleges and universities throughout South Carolina, as well as instructors from GSSM.

Niru Maheswaranathan, a 2007 graduate of the South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, co-taught an eighth grade robotics course with Jon Shannon, GSSM's Chief Information Officer. The course – which used the LEGO Mindstorm NXT educational kits designed at MIT as a fun way for kids to get acquainted with robotics, computer science and electronics – placed heavy emphasis on general skills such as problem solving, teamwork and engineering.

The students completed challenges that were either designed by course instructors or by the First LEGO League robotics competition.  The challenges forced them to learn to use various sensors, such as the ultrasonic, light and touch sensors.  The programming aspect of the course introduced students to basic computer science structures such as loops and switches by using an easy to learn graphical programming interface designed by LabView.

Maheswaranathan, a second-year biomedical engineering and electrical/computer engineering major at Duke University, was first acquainted with GSSM when he attended SSP as a rising tenth grade student.

"The two years I spent at GSSM really opened me up to new academic areas and allowed me to pursue interests I would have otherwise been unable to," said Maheswaranathan. "As far as teaching SSP this summer, it was really satisfying to see the students complete the challenges we designed, especially when those challenges taught them a more difficult concept without them even realizing it."

The GSSM Foundation would like to thank the following organizations for their continuous support of SSP: Rotary Club of Five Points; SPINX Company; Vulcan Materials Company; Fort Mill Rotary; and Dr. W. Ray Hilton.


GSSM alumnus Niru Maheswaranathan (far right) assists SSP campers (L-R) Jansen Simmons and Mike Howell during the SSP Robotics course.