RENCI is hosting a two-week summer institute for high school students to explore key concepts in computers, electronics and robotics. The summer institute will take place July 16-27 at the Renaissance Computing Institute’s Chapel Hill location, 100 Europa Drive.

Talented high school juniors and seniors involved in the Math Science Education Network Program through UNC-Chapel Hill and juniors and seniors from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics are invited to apply. The students will engage in hands-on learning activities, career exploration and networking with RENCI scientists, researchers and developers, and skill building in advanced computing technologies.  The deadline for applications is March 30 or until the program is full.

The institute will pose a number of challenges to the talented teenagers who participate. Can a PlayStation 3 be used as a supercomputer? How do you train a robot to safely navigate an office building? Can a 15-foot wide balloon provide visual and virtual eyes in the sky during an emergency? Can an aerobatic remote controlled airplane be adapted into a storm-chasing UAV? How do chemists, biologists, computer scientists, meteorologists and engineers work together to solve really tough problems in genetics, disaster management, and collaborative visualization?

Summer Institute participants will explore these and other questions through daily hands-on learning activities and lectures. They will learn about technology and science career paths, and develop skills related to advanced computing technologies. In addition the students will take field trips to Triangle area technology hot spots in research, education and industry.

The program aims to challenge and stimulate students’ critical thinking, collaboration, and project development abilities and to facilitate mentor relationships with RENCI staff and other technologists, engineers and scientists. The curriculum will focus on biology, computational chemistry, high performance computing, and robotics.