Summer Residential Program

The summer residential program takes place on the campus of Frostburg State University. Students live on campus for threem five or six weeks while they participate in a variety of classes, workshops, and activities all designed help prepare them for post secondary education in math and/or science. The rising 9th graders participate in a three-week program, rising 10th and 11th graders attend a five-week program, and rising 12th graders attend a five-week program and a special senior week.

During the summer, students live in the residence halls with the RMSC Tutor/Counselors (TCs). TCs are college students majoring in math and/or science and have been hired to supervise and work with the RMSC participants. TCs are involved in every aspect of the RMSC Summer Program. They are with the students during meals, classes, workshops, and activities and supervise in the residence halls in the evenings. They plan evening and weekend activities and are available for students when they need assistance. They serve as tutors and role models for the students and are a critical element of our program.

One of the major goals of our Summer Program is to teach students to conduct a scientific investigation and to present it both orally and in written form. Students work in research teams to design and conduct their studies.

Another goal of the Summer Program is to make sure students are prepared for the math courses they will be taking in the fall. Students spend the first hour of the morning, Monday through Friday, in math class where they review critical concepts and are introduced to new concepts in Algebra, Geometry, Trig/Pre-Calc, or Calculus. Students are given a mathematics placement test at the beginning of each summer and the results of this test, in addition to a student's academic record, are used to determine which class a student will be taking each summer.

Students spend early mornings in math and English classes. Late mornings and early afternoons are primarily spent conducting scientific research and learning the scientific concepts and analytical skills necessary to conduct the investigations. In late afternoons students attend either SAT prep, foreign language or literature courses. Students also have free time in computer labs to catch up on emails or call to home.

In the evenings students participate in recreational, cultural and social activities that are planned by the residential staff. These activities range from capture the flag and basketball, to arts and crafts, to trips to scenic overlooks. Suggestions for these activities are always welcome.

On Fridays, after math class, the student research teams present the current status of their research. In science, peer review is extremely important, and these presentation/question & answer sessions provide our students with some experience with the peer review process a well as gives them opportunities to prepare for the final presentation.

After the Friday morning presentations, students participate in a variety of workshops and lectures provided by guest speakers. They also spend time conducting college and career explorations and attending other workshops like study skills, financial aid searches, etc.

To finish the week, students and staff go out for dinner and entertainment. Saturdays and Sundays are reserved for field trips and daily outings, a time to rejuvenate and get ready for the next week. We encourage students to syat for these weekend activities; however they do have the option of going home to spend weekends with their families (transportation must be provided by guardians).