Academic Outreach Camp

The University of South Carolina Upstate, BMW Manufacturing in Greer, and Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System are teaming up for an Academic Outreach Camp to introduce students to exciting and real world applications of mathematics, statistics, and physics.

The camp will emphasize how mathematics and science are used to improve the processes to build things like BMW vehicles and how other industries and organizations, such as healthcare, finance and the armed forces, use similar processes and tools.  In addition to honing and improving team work and leadership skills, students will gain hands-on experience in learning and applying Lean and Six Sigma tools to computerized challenges, physical simulations, case studies, and teaching games.  An in-depth tour of BMW's manufacturing facility and USC-Upstate's Healthcare Simulation Center are included.  Students will also have a chance to improve their driving skills behind the wheel of a BMW vehicle at the BMW Performance Center.

The Academic Outreach Camp will be held June 15-19 and June 22-26, 2015, at USC-Upstate's George Dean Johnson, Jr. College of Business and Economics in downtown Spartanburg.  Participants will be required to attend both weeks.  Students must be rising seniors at the time of application and must apply online at www.uscupstate.edu/bmwcamp.  The camp is free; lunch and snacks will be provided.  The deadline for applications is March 16, 2015.

For questions or for more information, please contact:

Donette Stewart - dstewart@uscupstate.edu or 864503-5280
Tim Ellis - tellis@uscupstate.edu or 864-552-4235

Leadership Opportunity for Sophomores

Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership

Empower ~ Lead ~ Excell

Leaders are not simply born.  They're chosen, nurtured, and developed.

HOBY's flagship program, the State Leadership Seminar, is designed to empower high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, school, and community.  Your high school's selected student attends our three- or four-day seminar to participate in hands-on leadership activities, meet leaders in your state, and explore personal leadership skills, while learning how to lead others and make a positive impact in the community.  

Every spring, nearly 10,000 high school sophomores from across the country are chosen to represent their high schools in HOBY State Leadership Seminars.  Your student will have a life-changing experience and develop leadership skills which will serve him/her long into the future!

Register at www.hoby.org or call 818-851-3980x400.  Log in to see your seminar date, location, and registration fee.

Guaranteed Acceptance date of DECEMBER 5, 2014.  (Registrations submitted after this date are accepted on a space-available basis.)

If you are interested in being considered for this leadership experience, please stop by the Student Services Office to pick up more information.

Desired Leadership Characteristics:

• outstanding oral and/or written communication skills
• critical and/or creative thinking
• creative problem solving
• strong decision-making skills
• sensitivity to the needs or concerns of others
• charismatic personality (others gravitate towards him or her)
• courage to speak out for one's beliefs
• courage to challenge authority
• participation and/or interest in community service activities

Experience vs. Performance

Two weeks ago, SFCS sent High School and Middle School delegations to the 2013 Youth In Government (YIG) Conference in Columbia, SC.  Youth in Government is a YMCA-sponsored event that brings together middle and high school students from all over the United States in a three-day conference where students gain a glimpse into the inner workings of the state government process. During the conference, students propose, write, and defend bills, run for offices for the next year, and meet state legislators. 

This year was especially great for the SFCS delegation – seven SFCS bills were signed into YIG law; four middle school students and one high school student were named Outstanding Statesmen; two SFCS bills earned the Outstanding Bill Award; and both delegations were named Premier Delegations.   (For more details and pictures, visit http://shannonforest.com/headlines.html.)

So what could possibly make this experience just as important as the SAT – a nationally recognized method of evaluating college applicants?   

The SAT by nature is designed to provide a generalized snapshot of an individual.  It is one-dimensional and says very little about the person, in that it cannot distinguish between two students who have the same scores.  Without any other information, a college admissions representative could view both students as essentially equal. 

Youth In Government, in contrast, allows our students to show what they are able to accomplish in the real world.  YIG participants participate in a student-run government system that not only gives them a glimpse into the “grown-up world” of politics, but requires them to think critically, communicate clearly and rationally, and to take responsibility for their decisions and actions.  It is incredible what these young adults are able to accomplish through their own initiative when given the opportunity. 

Don’t mistake me, I am not saying that your 11^th grader shouldn’t take the SAT just because it is limited in its ability to truly distinguish between students.  However, I am suggesting the personal and educational value of experiences such as Youth In Government should not be ignored.  Shannon Forest Christian School has created several opportunities for students to gain experience with the real world which we encapsulate under the heading Shannon Experience.  These include the EXPLORE program for 10^th graders through which they investigate potential careers and participate in an internship program with businesses around Greenville; the PURSUE program during which 11^th graders visit college campuses, talk about potential majors, and discuss their goals and dreams for college; IMPACT and CONNECT which bring our Lower and Upper School students together through community service projects. 

Here at SFCS we want to provide your child with a well-rounded education – one in which they are well-versed in the fundamentals of math, history, English, and science, but also one that has allowed them to become confident, thoughtful, creative, empathetic individuals who can truly impact their communities for Christ. 

Are You A Student Leader?

The magazine Leadership for Student Activities NHS & NJHS edition contains a great article with tips for getting into college by maximizing your application process.  The author, Mark Sklarow, notes that colleges and universities are facing a growing list of increasingly competitive applicants and are choosing students whose "collective skills and interests will create an entering class that reflects the academic, social, and cultural mix they want to see on their campuses."  They are looking for student leaders who will bring new and creative ideas and leadership to cultural clubs, academic societies, sororities and fraternities, service organizations, etc.

So how do you show off your skills as a student leader without bragging?  Here are some tips:

• Approach your adviser well in advance.  You can request a recommendation as early as junior year or earlier if either you or your teacher is leaving the school.  But remember that your adviser is busy, so give lots of lead time.
• Give your adviser a list of your activities and the projects you worked on, and share information about what you've discovered about yourself, your fellow students, and your school through  your involvement in school activities.
• Show colleges what you've done in high school, but remember that they are even more interested in how you will use your knowledge, training, and experience to make their colleges a better place.  Look for opportunities in your essay and interview to discuss where you hope to be involved on campus.
• Demonstrate a deep and passionate involvement in a few things.  Colleges are unimpressed by students who dabble in 15 activities.  Rather, they are thrilled with teens who discover what they love to do, get deeply involved, and accept more and more responsibility as the years go by.  Demonstrate how that genuine passion has shaped you as a person and a student leader, and you'll make admissions hearts flutter.
• Bear in mind that different types of schools view their candidates differently.  Small liberal arts colleges see it as their mission to view students holistically, and they spend serious time reviewing essays, letters of recommendation, and talking with students, as well as considering transcripts and scores.  Big state universities have less time and are often driven by data, but students with a genuine story can stand out and convince an overwhelmed admissions counselor to stop and take notice.

Letters of Recommendation are a key way to display this information to admissions committees.  Consider carefully who you would like to write you a recommendation.  Teachers, counselors, administrators, mentors, employers, etc. are all great people to ask -- you want someone who knows you well.  Make sure you chose someone who is able to write a letter that will highlight your accomplishments; convey information about your skills, abilities, and unique talents; provide specific examples of your leadership experiences and your greatest successes; and can write these things honestly. 

Source: Mark Sklarow, "Getting In: An insider shares tips on the college admissions process," Leadership  for Student Activities, vol. 42, no. 3, November 2013.

*Mark Sklarow is the CEO of the Independent Education Consultants Association, a national organization representing school and college advisers who work independently from school settings.