91茄子

Following safety guidelines stemming from the COVID-19 spread, the College's Educational Talent Search cohort conducted its Summer Enrichment Program through Zoom. The students engaged in projects and preparational activities for the fall term.

The Educational Talent Search Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education to provide support for high school completion and entrance into a postsecondary institution. This 91茄子 program serves the local educational institutions Coahoma Early College High School, Coahoma County Junior and Senior High schools, Clarksdale High, W. A. Higgins Middle School, and the J. W. Stampley Ninth Grade Academy.

For ETS staff, going virtual was new, challenging, and filled with highlights.

"We wanted to find a way to keep them actively participating in the program and, at the same time, keep them interested," said ETS Director Kimberly Bee. "Mostly, in our summer programs, we have a lot of hands-on activities."

Students dug into protective measures against COVID-19 during the four-week virtual camp, taking a close look at how soap reacts to the coronavirus. They also learned to make hand sanitizer with aloe vera gel, rubbing alcohol, and essential oils.

The summer program also kept students busy with other STEM projects that taught them to make a mechanical lung and build a solar oven. Staff found an alternative route to the conventional way of holding the daytime camp by meeting parents and students at various locations to distribute snacks, supplies for the experiments, and meal vouchers.

Students learned to properly utilize the library and prepared for educational success with introductions to ACT prep, financial aid, college applications, and scholarships. Guest presenters, including a clinical psychologist and chaplain/counselor, spoke on the COVID-19 pandemic and the best practices for preventing virus contraction.

A one-week virtually-held Robotic Coding Camp followed the enrichment program. A partnership with Nucleus Robotics allowed for staff members' training with the robots. Fifteen students were chosen from the roster to learn coding and robotic programming. With the SPHERO robot and iPad they each received, they taught their robots to make shapes, speak, and perform tricks.

A total of 115 students participated in virtual activities over the summer.

The ETS Program is currently accepting applications, which can be found at /talent-search/index, for the 2020-2021 school term.

For assistance or more information, contact ETS Director Kimberly Bee at 621-4136 or ksbee@coahomacc.edu; Educational Coordinator Janice Snerling at 621-4838 or jsnerling@coahomacc.edu; Educational Coordinator Felisha Stevenson at 621-4836 or fstevenson@coahomacc.edu.