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Vanderbilt Summer Academy 2022 Courses
Apply Now | Summer 2022 COVID-19 Policy Statement
In the sections below, students and families may view VSA course titles, descriptions and instructor bios.
Course Availability Key:
full, no longer accepting applications
full, waiting list only
available, limited space
Course availability will be updated on a weekly basis beginning on March 1, 2022. However, availability can change quickly during peak application times and availability in certain experiences may not always be accurately reflected on this page during peak times. If your content area of interest is currently listed as "waiting list only," click here to learn more about the waiting list process. Please contact our office at 615-322-8261 or pty.peabody@vanderbilt.edu if you have questions about availability or the length of the waiting list for a particular course.
Click here to learn more about the asynchronous component of VSA 2022 courses.
Select one of the age groups below to view courses:
**Note: For all VSA courses, multiple perspectives (both popular and unpopular) will be examined and discussed for the purpose of building critical thinking skills and understanding or critiquing multiple viewpoints and data as well as incorporating and responding to classmates' views and ideas. The ideas, readings and discussions are not necessarily the expressed views of the instructor, PTY, or VU. While we encourage students to engage in the orderly and civil exchange of diverse ideas and opinions, we expect that they will do so in a respectful way so that all participants feel welcome and safe.
**Courses and instructors subject to change. Additional courses may be added before the application priority window opens on January 6, 2022.
**Experiential experiences such as field trips, lab visits and hands-on activities are subject to change based on COVID-19 policies.
Rising 7th/8th Grade
Rising 9th/10th Grade
Rising 11th/12th Grade
Rising 7th/8th Grade (1 Week: June 20-25, 2022)
Choose a course title below to view the description and instructor information. Courses are subject to change. Click here to learn more about the asynchronous component of VSA 2022 courses. Apply Now!
Coding, Circuits and Creativity: An Introduction to Electrical Engineering
Instructor: Ashley George
Engineering, Programming
Are you looking for an innovative hands-on experience that is interactive, challenging, and fun? If so, this introduction to the collaborative and dynamic world of engineering is for you! In this course, you will have the opportunity to develop skills in electrical engineering and programming. You will also be introduced to C and C++, powerful general-purpose programming languages. Throughout the course, you will learn to approach and solve problems like an engineer using the exciting conceptual frameworks of invention, discovery, and exploration. Toward the end of the course, you will have the opportunity to design your own creative project using the Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment) to build an electric circuit that will light up, flicker, and make noises. No prior coding experience is required.
After graduating with an electrical engineering degree, Ashley George entered the Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP) for General Electrical (GE). serving as operations supervisor, process engineer, and quality engineer. She also became Black Belt Certified in Lean Six Sigma, which uses statics analysis and methodologies to improve process and/or performance by eliminating waste and defects, while creating value for the customer and running large-scale projects across cross-functional teams. After completing the program, Ashley spent 2 years as Lead Quality Engineer for the diesel engine division of GE Transportations. She then moved to GE Capital serving as the ACFC (At the Customer for the Customer) Black Belt focusing on implementing and streamlining the in-store customer experience and process for applying for in-store credit. After 10 years with GE, Ashley made the career change to teaching. She teaches physics, AP physics, engineering, and coding courses, as well as coaches First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics Teams and the Ladybots, which won the 2020-2021 State Championship and qualified for the World Championship in Houston, Texas.
Math and Music
Instructor: Dawson Gray
Music Theory, Mathematics
From Brahms to the Beatles, Bartók to Beyoncé, the points at which mathematics and music collide open up both worlds as expressions of beauty and wonder. This course will examine topics, such as set theory, musical scales, frequency, matrices, serialism, compositional techniques, and the Fibonacci sequence, to help students reach a synthesis between the fields of math and music. Listening examples, class discussion, and group activities will be integral parts of the classroom experience. A musical background is helpful but not required.
Dawson Gray is in his sixteenth year with Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth and his fourteenth year as an instructor. He currently teaches at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, where he serves as the Math Department Chair and teaches AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, and college preparatory statistics. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a double major in piano performance and mathematics, and he completed a master's degree in secondary education with an emphasis on mathematics at Vanderbilt's Peabody College.
Mental Pictures: The Way We Look at The Brain
Instructor: Sarah Meier
Neuroscience, Neuroimaging
How can we see what's happening inside of our heads? Neuroimaging allows scientists to visualize and understand various types of activity occurring in the brain to answer questions about how it works. It also helps medical professionals understand what structural or functional alterations may be associated with clinical diseases or conditions. This course will be an introduction to the concepts of five types of neuroimaging (MRI, PET, EEG, CAT, and DTI). After an introduction to the types of neuroimaging, you will be asked to think about which neuroimaging techniques are most appropriate for different scientific questions. You will also see brain images while you learn! This course will open your eyes to the beautiful world of neuroimaging and broaden your knowledge of neuroscience.
Sarah Meier is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program. Before coming to Vanderbilt, she received her bachelor's degree in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in Forensics from the University of New Hampshire. With broad interests in neuroscience and the law ("neurolaw"), she hopes to use neuroimaging to better inform the legal system regarding different human behaviors. When she is not thinking about the brain, she is either thinking about skiing or tacos.
Psychological Science Research: Solving the Human Puzzle
Instructor: Nicolette Granata
Psychology, Research
If someone asked you to work on the world's greatest, most perplexing puzzle for a living, would you say yes? Psychological science researchers have! What is this puzzle? Humans! Psychological researchers study how humans think, learn, feel, and act. If the human puzzle is intriguing to you, then you may be interested in studying psychology and becoming a psychological science researcher. This one-week, immersive experience will allow you the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of researching within psychological science so that you have the knowledge to develop a mini research proposal on a topic that interests YOU the most – this is what psychological researchers are asked to do in their careers! Together, we will learn how to view, interpret, and critique others' research by studying existing scientific literature and studies. We will then use our budding understanding of psychological research to write research questions, form hypotheses, and design a novel study. You will leave this week with a true taste of what life as a researcher could be like while having a lot of fun!
Nicolette Granata is a rising 4th-year Ph.D. student in Developmental Science at Vanderbilt University. Nicolette also attended Vanderbilt as an undergraduate, graduating with a double-major in Child Development and Psychology with a minor in Special Education. Nicolette has always been passionate about improving the inclusion and acceptance of children with differences, and she believes research is her tool to do so. Nicolette's research is focused on children's concepts of disability, judgments of behaviors produced by persons with disabilities, and how disability labels and acquisition affect how fundamental both children AND adults think persons' disabilities are to their identity. Nicolette is extremely passionate about teaching. She hopes her love for learning and passion for creative thinking inspires you to pursue your own scientific goals and dreams. When she's not thinking science, she's out exercising or spending time with her beloved dog, Lola – a COVID-19 quarantine rescue from The Nashville Humane Association.
Rhetorical Advocacy and Criticism
Instructor: John Koch, Ph.D.
Writing, Public Speaking
Words have power. They can influence attitudes, behaviors, and responses. When thoughtfully done, they can be utilized to unite and create change. Through the analysis of historical speeches and popular culture, such as movies, sports, television, and other texts, we will explore how to apply rhetorical criticism and how to improve our own arguments and speeches to influence cultural, economic, political, and social change. We will determine the rhetorical techniques that politicians and other agents of change have employed to craft powerful messages. In this course, you will engage in rhetorical criticism and speech projects. In doing so, you will become a more involved and informed citizen, a better public speaker, and a critical consumer of information. In this course, you will learn how to think critically, argue effectively, and mobilize support for the issues that matter to you. If you are interested in communications, law, popular culture, public policy, or politics, then Rhetorical Advocacy and Criticism is the course for you.
Dr. John P. Koch is a Senior Lecturer and Director of Debate in the Department of Communication Studies. He has a Ph.D. in Communication Studies with an emphasis in rhetoric from Wayne State University. John uses a wide range of methods to understand and explain political and policy debates. He is interested in political campaign debates, presidential debates, policy debates, and presidential rhetoric. His research is guided by the question of how we can improve citizenship practices and debates within our political culture. He currently serves as a member of the National Communication Association's Committee on International Discussion and Debate. His research has appeared in various publications on academic debate, presidential debates, and presidential rhetoric. He has also been published or quoted in various news publications, including The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and Time Magazine. Currently, he serves as the Director of Debate of Vanderbilt's internationally renowned and award-winning debate program.
Seas the Summer: Diving into Marine Biology
Instructor: Jessica Gilpin, Ph.D.
Are you interested in learning more about the world beneath the intriguing and mysterious surface of the world's oceans? Dive into a variety of marine biology topics as we explore the biodiversity of life beneath the sea. Each day will be an expedition into a different ecosystem. From coral reefs to deep-sea thermal vents, we will learn about the vast array of habitats that occur in the ocean and the amazing organisms that evolved to live there. Through active learning and collaboration facilitated by an expert in marine biology, students will study not only marine organisms but also their behaviors and interactions with the environment. This week-long course will be an exciting and in-depth introduction to marine biology for any ocean enthusiast!
Dr. Jessica Gilpin is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt. She is an instructor for the Introductory Biology courses and labs. Her research focus is on Caribbean coral reef ecosystems and she studies the life history traits and behavior of cleaner shrimps that associate with sea anemones. She received her B.S. in Biology from Fairfield University in 2012 and her Ph.D.in Marine Biology from Auburn University in 2017. Before starting her lectureship, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Sciences and Mathematics Outreach Department at Auburn University where she was an integral part of planning and executing K-12 STEM outreach programs and teacher trainings. Dr. Gilpin is also a certified scientific diver and Scuba Schools International Assistant Diving Instructor. She is excited to impart her knowledge and passion for marine biology in her summer course!
The Art of Science Communication: An Introduction to Communicating Professionally and Effectively about Science
Instructor: Adriana Norris
Biology, Science Communication
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disease that is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. It results from the body becoming insulin resistant and therefore unable able to regulate glucose homeostasis. This multifactorial disease is associated with several comorbidities, including hypertension, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease. But how can we communicate this important, but technical, information to the general public in a way that is clear and helpful? After an introduction to T2D, you will focus on analyzing and evaluating how existing science communication projects communicate key T2D information to the public. After reviewing and critiquing existing communication artifacts, you will work in groups to create and present new T2D science communication projects that are aimed at assigned audiences and grounded in cutting-edge principles and practices. Be prepared to creatively collaborate in project teams (like professional science communicators), speak publicly, and receive feedback from your peers!
Adriana Norris is a Ph.D. student in Vanderbilt University's Biological Sciences program. During her undergraduate education, she took pedagogy courses to learn about active learning strategies and was able to implement them in classrooms as a learning assistant for several college biology courses. Adriana is now performing biomedical research at Vanderbilt. She is creating a new mouse model of type 2 diabetes to try and replicate the disease in humans. She hopes the findings from her research will be used to inform the design of type 2 diabetes therapeutics. She is also interested in science communication and created a YouTube channel to talk about academic topics and interview people in academia.
Writing With Fire: Storytelling in Verse
Instructor: Ben Schwartz
Writing, Literary Criticism
You have a story to tell! In Writing with Fire: Storytelling in Verse, we will read the work of award-winning young adult memoirists in order to tell our own unique stories. Featuring the work of acclaimed authors such as Jacqueline Woodson, Thanhà Lai, and David Bowles, this course will expose you to transformational texts and empower you by giving you the tools to shape your own narrative. You will practice the literary vocabulary and analytical thinking needed in high school and beyond while exercising creativity and deepening your understanding of stories, self, and identity. No moment is too small to be a part of a great story!
Benjamin Schwartz is a Ph.D. candidate in English at Vanderbilt University. He holds a BA in American Studies from Brown University, a M.A. in English & Comparative Literature from Columbia University, and a M.A. in English from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to Vanderbilt, he taught Middle School English for three years in Southwestern Connecticut. Ben has been published in English Journal and served as the editorial assistant on the A-Line: a journal of progressive thought. His research focuses on humor, hip-hop, and teaching in African American literature.
Rising 9th/10th Grade (2 Week: June 20-July 1, 2022)
Instructor: Erika Grundstrom, Ph.D.
Physics, Astronomy, Computer Science
Do you have a lot of questions about the universe but don't know how to find the answers? There are a lot of things that we don't know about the universe (yet), but fortunately, the study of astrophysics gives us many of the tools we need to find the answers. Astrophysicists use computer modeling and advanced mathematics to answer their research questions. You can too! In this course, we will discover how to construct a good research question, find and analyze data, and use computer models to test your hypotheses. We'll observe the laws of physics on Earth and see if our observations match what computer models predict. This course will help you answer questions as wide and diverse as the universe itself.
Dr. Erika Grundstrom loves sharing the wonder of the universe with everyone young and old and has done so for 13 years with Programs for Talented Youth.  She is the director of astronomy labs and outreach in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University, and her research combines interests in massive stars, spectroscopy, and astronomy education. She received a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in 2007. Education and outreach have brought her (and often an inflatable planetarium) into schools throughout the Nashville region as well as provided opportunities to develop and teach curriculum for fifth-, sixth-, and ninth-grade students. Outside the classroom she loves to play with her husband and two young sons, partner dance, play sand volleyball, and travel.
Instructor: Crystal Miller, Ph.D.
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Love a good mystery, have a favorite Crime Scene Science TV show or just want to try your hand as a forensic scientist? Then this is the course for you. You will be introduced to an overview of forensic specialities, crime scene processing, evidence collection, and suspect examination. Daily field work explorations and hands-on lab experiences include observation and analysis of decomposition rates, and techniques to analyze evidence commonly found at a crime scene such as chromatography, ballistics, blood typing, DNA/STR analysis, and lifting of latent fingerprints. You also will hear from expert Forensic Scientists, critically analyze factual crime scene case studies, and complete a final project requiring them to work together to solve a crime. Forensic Science is a true interdisciplinary science course that caters to students' natural curiosities and a fun way to learn and apply science.
Dr. Crystal Miller currently teaches at Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where she wears many hats. In addition to AP Chemistry, she also teaches Pre-Med Chemistry and Crime Scene Science, two electives courses that she founded at the school over 15 years ago. She is also a member of the Dean of Students Office where she serves as the Grade 12 Sponsor, and the Student Activities Coordinator, a role where she manages student-led activities and programs like Project TALK, a program that focuses on diversity, civil discourse and having tough, student-led conversations. Crystal earned her Ph.D. in Bioinorganic Chemistry from Vanderbilt University under the mentorship of David Wright, researching the effect of malarial parasite byproducts on the human body. She then obtained a Postdoctoral Research position in Jorge Capdevilla's lab at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center before coming to Ensworth. While Crystal loves teaching science to high school students, she believes that her best work is done outside of the classroom by forming meaningful relationships with students and helping them develop into good citizens.
Nanoscience and Engineering
Instructor: Greg Walker, Ph.D. and VINSE Faculty
Engineering, Nanotechnology, Chemistry
Get ready to don your protective coveralls and enter the exciting world of nanoengineering. In this class, you will get an introduction to key nanoparticles and their properties while stretching your creative problem-solving skills to their limits. You can expect advanced lectures, labs, and extensive study with faculty, grad students, and postdocs at the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE). You will also spend significant time in one of Vanderbilt's newest, biggest, and cleanest cleanrooms.* These experiences will challenge you to see the world the way a nanoscientist does, including how manipulating the smallest of particles might address some of the world's biggest problems.
NOTE: Be advised that the special lighting, clothing, and atmosphere of the cleanroom may act as a "trigger" for students with anxiety disorders and tactile sensitivities. Please call our office if you'd like to discuss the specifics of the cleanroom further.
**Tennessee students from backgrounds historically underrepresented in science may be eligible to apply for a competitive full tuition scholarship funded directly through Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (VINSE) for this course. Click here for more information and to apply. If you have any questions, please email the PTY office at pty.peabody@vanderbilt.edu.
Greg Walker is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, holding several appointments at Vanderbilt, including ones in the Interdisciplinary Materials Science Program, the Thermal Engineering Lab, the Advanced Computing Center for Research and Education, and the Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. His research interests include the modeling and simulation of nonequilibrium, coupled energy transport in electronics, and energy conversion materials.
Our Digital Lives: Rhetoric, Meaning, and Production in the Digital World
Instructor: Morgan Beers
Rhetoric, Digital Studies, Pop Culture
Throughout the 21st century, the rise of technology has presented a multitude of possibilities for life outside of one's typical, physical, social bubble. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns throughout the world, the role of technology in everyday communication and identity formation has reached a new level. This course sets out to examine how digital and media spaces, such as podcasts, commercials, social media sites, video games, digital life simulator space, etc., have impacted how we shape our identities and ways of communicating in our current world. Using the lens of digital rhetoric, we will interact with and examine various forms of multimodal and digital texts to better understand how the authors create meaning and how we, as the audience, interpret said meaning outside of the constraints of written, academic texts. You will utilize rhetorical analysis to engage with various forms of multimedia and multimodal readings to build a rhetorical toolkit for engaging, analyzing, and producing multimodal projects, which will then be used to produce your own multimodal projects relating to a singular theme of your own choosing. Possible topics include the changing nature of digital communication during COVID-19, social media and psychology, digital community organizing, the creation of a digital self in video games, etc. If you are interested in rhetoric and persuasion, digital spaces (internet, video games, etc.), or marketing, this might be the course for you.
Morgan Beers is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy at The Ohio State University. Her research areas include Digital Rhetoric and Public Rhetoric. As a digital rhetorician, Morgan is interested in examining how meaning is created within and through digital spaces with particular attention to how such meaning-making holds larger implications for social justice, online communities (particularly minority communities), and the circulation of mis/disinformation. Some of her past and current projects include "Tumblr's Adult Content Filter and Algorithmic Oppression," "The Role of Social Media Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," and most recently, a pilot study entitled, "COVID-19 and the Circulation of News Information on Social Media." Morgan has worked with Vanderbilt's Programs for Talented Youth in various positions over the past 5 years, including Vanderbilt Summer Academy and PTY's Online Academy. Morgan received a B.A. in English Literature and Writing from Lipscomb University in 2018 and an M.A. in English Literature from The University of Alabama in 2020.
Perfect Shuffles, Permutations, and Decimal Expansions: Making Math Real
Instructor: Jason Brasel
Have you ever been in a higher-level math course and heard or even asked the question, "When will I ever use this?" The new mathematics you will learn in this course will provide a multi-faceted and exciting answer to this question. Physics, computer programming, and cryptography are just a few of the practical applications of the new theories and advanced mathematical techniques that will be explored in this course, all starting from the same humble base: card shuffles. Using the techniques learned in this seemingly simple analysis, you will explore the topics of number theory, permutation groups, and expansion of numbers in various bases and discuss how these relate to real-world issues and current innovation.
Jason Brasel is a math teacher and teacher educator at the University of Michigan, who loves helping others improve their teaching. He lives in Nashville with his wife and four daughters.
The Force and Literary Criticism: When Darth Vader meets Stanley Fish
Instructor: David Lee, MFA
Literary Criticism, Pop Culture
The social and cultural influence and impact of the Star Wars movies cross-generational, socio-economic, and regional divides. With the completion of the Skywalker saga nearly 40 years after the initial "Star Wars" film was released in 1977, scholars are taking a new look at the now completed cannon with multiple and diverse theoretical approaches. In this class, you will join this renewed academic effort through engaging traditional and emerging theories in literary criticism to develop your own scholarly analysis of a franchise that shaped popular culture for over four decades. With tools such as archetypal criticism, cultural criticism, feminist criticism, reader-response criticism, and post-structuralism, you will consider such issues as how Star Wars develops the significance of race, class, and gender, how Star Wars has both reflected and critiqued culture, and how much the meaning of Star Wars is dependent upon the reader (viewer). At the end of this course, you will walk away with new analytical tools in your literary analysis toolbelt, as well as your own developing theory of Star Wars as text.
David Ian Lee currently serves as full-time faculty for the Theatre and Dance Program at Tennessee State University and as Co-Producing Artistic Director for Nashville's Pipeline-Collective, an organization that creates guerilla-style theatre with an emphasis on the craft of the actor, dynamic storytelling, and theatrical magic on a shoestring budget. He is a freelance actor and director having worked in New York for companies including Pearl Theatre Company, Manhattan Theatre Source, Boomerang, Gideon, and Flux Ensemble; for regional theatres including Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep., Arizona Rep., Tennessee Rep.; and classical companies including New York Classical Theatre, Arkansas Shakespeare, Illinois Shakespeare, Sedona Shakespeare, Utah Shakespeare, and Nashville Shakespeare. He is an internationally produced playwright, with recent productions of his work in Canada, South Africa, Scotland, and Greece. He has presented at conferences including Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE) and Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC). A graduate of the William Esper Studio, David received his M.F.A. in Directing in 2015 from Illinois State University, where he was honored with an Outstanding Teaching Award. He has proudly taught with Vanderbilt's Programs for Talented Youth since 2016. Favorite credit: his son, Beckett Harrison Lee.
Water Quality and Public Heath: An Introduction to Field Research in Environmental Science
Instructor: Greg Smith, Ph.D.
Ecology, Field Research, Public Health
Water is critical for human life. You interact and ingest water every single day and don't think twice. How do you know, however, that the water you are drinking is clean when pollution is leading to a variety of problems associated with global human health? Ensuring you and future generations have access to safe water is the job of environmental scientists working in the specialized field of water quality. In this course, you will have the opportunity to work as an environmental field scientist, analyzing the health of the water in Middle Tennessee! In your research, you will consider questions, such as 'How do scientists measure/quantify the level of contamination in a water source?' and 'How do we treat contaminated water?', as well as 'What are the impacts on human health?' You will collect data from field surveys and experiments, use descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze your results, and present your findings to your peers like a research scientist. You'll leave with a newfound appreciation for the work of field research and the processes that govern and shape the natural waters around us.
Greg Smith is the instructor of Interdisciplinary Science and Research at John Overton High School in Nashville, TN. He earned his Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Vanderbilt University in 2019, where he relied on concepts and techniques from geology, ecology, and chemistry to understand the dietary habits of extinct megafauna (large mammals like elephants, camels, and bison). Now, he leverages his diverse scientific background and passion for education to teach high school students how to be scientists! His students carry out independent research projects, give presentations at national science competitions, and get their hands dirty working with multiple business partners outdoors in the beautiful area surrounding Middle Tennessee. In his free time, Greg enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and yoga with his wife, Lauren, and his two children, Harvey and Gwendolyn. Greg loves teaching and hopes to inspire future generations of scientists to follow their dreams!
Writing Poetry & Free Verse
Instructor: Jan Harris, Ph.D.
Creative Writing, Literary Theory
Led by a published author, this writing class will help you find and express your poetic voice and gain confidence and expert feedback about your work. By studying different kinds of poetry through creative and engaging creative writing activities, group collaboration, analysis, and peer review you will work toward building a comprehensive collection of your own original poems. We will pay particular attention to free verse and the frontier of poetry beyond meter, with a focus on finding your own voice and platform. The writing skills you learn will not only help enhance your poems, but allow you to engage in scholarly conversations with other classmates and express your ideas in unique ways while having a lot of fun along the way.
Jan Elaine Harris (she/her) is a tenured Associate Professor of English and Writing at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. at The University of Alabama. Her chapbook, Isolating One's Priorities, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2021. Recent poems have appeared in Yes, Poetry, The West Trade Review, HERWords, The Portland Review, Camas, The Rumpus, and The Exposition Journal. She lives in East Nashville with her partner, Tim, and their two perfect GSPs, Malloy and Astrid-June.
Rising 11/12th Grade
PTY is offering multiple programs for rising 11th/12th grade students in Summer 2022. Click on the link below for course listings for each program.
VSA 1-Week (June 26-July 2) VSA 2-Week (July 10-22) Mentor Immersion (Virtual)
Rising 11th/12th Grade (1 Week: June 26-July 2, 2022)
Choose a course title below to view the description and instructor information. Courses in this session will have 2 one-hour virtual meetings before the on-campus program begins. Courses are subject to change. Click here to learn more about the asynchronous component of VSA 2022 courses. Apply Now!
Anthropology in Action: How Research Is Applied to Advocacy and Activism
Instructor: Emma Banks, Ph.D.
Anthropology, Ethics
Anthropologists study human relationships and worldviews, giving them a unique vantage point from which to understand some of the world's biggest problems. From medicine to law to international relations, anthropologists' work crosses a variety of other disciplines. Skilled anthropologists understand that they can put their training and discoveries to work as activists and advocates. However, in these applied settings, anthropologists may confront major ethical dilemmas about their objectivity as researchers and their own power over research subjects. In this intensive course, you will explore instances where anthropologists have created both harm and benefit through their advocacy and activism work, and you will learn from these past examples to create your own research approaches. You will learn to use an anthropological process to explore social problems while developing your own set of ethical principles to govern the approach. By applying big questions to specific case studies, you will develop analytical and problem-solving skills, which will serve you whether you want to use these as a lawyer or journalist, policy analyst, or doctor. You will also learn different approaches anthropologists use to develop, conduct, and present research so that you are prepared for a final project where you select a pressing social problem of your choice (e.g., immigration, gender discrimination, poverty, or climate change) to study under the guidance of your instructor. You will employ an anthropological approach to study this social issue using both primary and secondary sources and then apply your research by developing a plan for how you might utilize your discoveries for the purpose of advocacy.
Emma Banks is a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Tennessee State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University. In Fall 2022 she will join Bucknell as an assistant professor of international relations. Her research focuses on how marginalized communities remake their social relations around coal mining. Since 2013, she has worked with Wayúu and Afro-descendant communities displaced by the Cerrejón Coal Mine in La Guajira, Colombia. As part of her ongoing commitment to social justice in the region, she is part of a network of solidarity activists that support local movements for a just post-coal future. When she's not thinking about climate justice, she likes to play with her dogs and spend time on her small farm outside of Nashville.
Biology of Cancer: An Introduction to the Origin and Treatment of Cancer
Instructor: Sabrina Van Ravenstein
Biology, Chemistry, Medical Research
Cancer, a global and social phenomenon, is an intriguing set of diseases that originates from malfunctioning cells within the body. Cancer cells can form harmful tumors and other malignancies. What then, causes a "normal cell" to transform into a cancer cell? In this course, you will learn how cancer originates at genetic and cellular levels. You will also explore a variety of treatments for cancer, ranging from traditional radiation/chemotherapy treatment to more modern techniques, such as immunotherapy and mRNA cancer vaccines. By the end of the course, you will have an emerging understanding of the origins of cancer disease, how it is researched, and how it is treated.
Due to the nature of this course, a previous course in biological science is highly recommended.
Sabrina Van Ravenstein is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University. She studies how chemotherapeutic drugs affect DNA replication. Her other research interests include cancer and the molecular mechanisms behind DNA damage and DNA replication. For fun, Sabrina loves yoga and exploring all the restaurants and parks that Nashville has to offer.
Introduction to Legal Studies: A Crash Course in Law
Instructor: Kaleigh Ruiz, J.D.
While the law impacts every citizen on a day-to-day basis and shapes the governing rhythm of American life, few truly understand what "the law" is and how it is actually practiced. In this course, you will embark on an intensive overview of legal studies through engaging foundational topics that are often at the core of the 1L (first year) law school experience. These critical topics include criminal law, torts, contracts, property, and constitutional law. By the end of the course, you will begin to develop an emerging understanding of the major areas of law, learn how to read a legal case, and begin to think like a lawyer. If you are considering a career in law, politics, government, or want to get a sense of a law school approach to education, this is the course for you!
Kaleigh Ruiz is a Ph.D. student studying judicial politics in a joint program with Vanderbilt University and Tilburg University in the Netherlands. She graduated law school from the University of Chicago, where she held leadership positions on the Law Women's Caucus, Latinx Law Student Association, and International Law Society. When not busy studying or teaching, Kaleigh enjoys hiking beautiful landscapes, curling up with a good book, and hanging out with her cat, Penny.
Special Relativity: an Introduction to Mathematical Physics
Instructor: Brian Luzcack
What would happen if we boarded a rocket ship moving closer and closer to the speed of light? Do our physical notions of time, length, and simultaneous events break down? In the early 1900s, physicists such as Albert Einstein pondered these questions, but it was with the help of some clever mathematics that he was able to accurately describe the theory of Special Relativity. In this course, we will explore these mathematical tools and focus on the intricate connections between math and physics. How does math help us explain our physical theories? And in turn, how do our physical theories lead to new questions in mathematics? Throughout this 1-week course, you will use these tools to collaboratively solve problems in Special Relativity with your peers. Come join us as we get closer and closer to lightspeed!
Prerequisites: Precalculus, Physics (Transcript Required), Having dedicated calculus experience is a bonus but not required.
Brian Luczak is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in Mathematics at Vanderbilt University. He previously graduated with a master's degree from the University of Tulsa, and he enjoys teaching in activities, such as the Tulsa High School Math Circle and Nashville Math Club. His research is in partial differential equations and mathematical physics. He is excited to make these topics accessible to students with a variety of backgrounds. In his free time, Brian loves cooking and finding the next great Nashville hangout spot
Rising 11th/12th Grade (2 Week: July 10-22, 2022)
Bytes to Bedside: Translating Data Science Research from the Computer to the Clinic
Instructor: Hannah Polikowsky
Data Science, Science Communication, Bioethics, Human Health
We live in the era of Big data. In 2020, almost 2MB of data were created every second by every person! How can we find a true signal among all the noise? This course will introduce you to publicly available datasets containing human health data. We'll explore the capabilities and limitations of these datasets and discuss ethical considerations for working with health data. We will use Python 3 and Jupyter Notebooks to gain hands-on experience with a data analysis pipeline, including data tidying and quality control, exploratory data analysis, and data visualization. You will then apply a data analysis approach to answer a question about human health and present your discoveries to your peers.
Hannah Polikowsky is a Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt University in the Human Genetics department. Prior to graduate school, she joined a start-up venture and launched a data analysis consulting services division within the company to provide scientists globally with tools to analyze drug discovery and clinical data. Her central research interest involves the development and implementation of innovative systems, which leverage high-parameter datasets and machine-learning tools to improve how we treat human health imbalances. Outside of the lab, Hannah enjoys exploring the magnificent outdoors, practicing yoga, writing, and baking delectable whole-food treats.
Exploring Cognitive Neuroscience: Evolution of Cognition and the Brain
Instructor: Jessica Feller
Neuroscience, Psychology
Are humans truly unique in our intelligence or "cognition"? What does cognition really mean? Why do we and other animal species excel at solving some problems but are insufficient in solving others? Cognitive neuroscientists and evolutionary psychologists work to explain how brain anatomy and physiology affect mental processes and how cognitive abilities may have evolved in humans and nonhuman animals. In this course, you will get a primer in evolutionary theory, explore cognitive abilities across the animal kingdom, examine brain structure and function related to cognition, and immerse yourself in ongoing cognitive research to explore selective pressures, which may have led to the evolution of cognition in specific instances. You will also learn skills transferable to other scientific disciplines, such as how to parse through scientific literature and how to use the scientific method to solve novel problems.
Jessica Feller is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at Vanderbilt University and is associated with the Vanderbilt Brain Institute. She has a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, and a Master of Arts in Biological Anthropology. Her current research primarily focuses on the perceptual and physiological consequences of noise-induced hearing loss. Jessica also has a strong background in communication and cognition research, has worked with several nonhuman animal species, and is certified in both college and online teaching from the Vanderbilt Center for Teaching. Jessica also mentors undergraduate students who write and edit for the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Journal and is very excited to teach and mentor the new generation of scientists during this year's Program for Talented Youth!
Exploring Music City: Fandom and the Making of Nashville
Instructor: Robert Fry, Ph.D.
Music History, Ethnography
Nashville is identified worldwide with musical sound. Considering this association, locations of creativity, performance, preservation, and production have become sites of interest for a growing number of fans interested in both the history and the performativity of Nashville's music scene. In this course, you will have a unique opportunity to explore the history of Nashville's music and the importance of music fandom. You will learn the basics of ethnographic research methodology through an immersive educational experience within the Vanderbilt and Nashville music communities. In addition to classroom discussions, the class will include guest lectures and class trips to music landmarks and sites throughout the city. Through this immersive experience, students will gain a deeper understanding of Nashville as a musical place and the role we, as music fans, tourists, and listeners, play in the production and presentation of Music City.
Robert W. Fry is senior lecturer in music history and literature at Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee, where he teaches courses in global music, jazz, blues, music in the American South, and music tourism. His research focuses on music tourism and the role of fan culture in the production of a musical place, which he writes about in his book, Performing Nashville: Music Tourism and Country Music's Main Street, part of Palgrave Macmillan's Leisure Studies in a Global Era series.
Fingerprinting Disease: From Microscopy to Medicine
Instructor: Kai Bracey
Microscopy, Medical Imaging, Biology
From Cancer to Parkinson's, every disease has distinct identifying features in our bodies that make up its "fingerprint." Pathology is a branch of medical science that is primarily concerned with the cause, origin, and nature of disease. The work of pathology involves the examination of tissues and organs to study and diagnose disease based on that disease's corresponding "fingerprint." Pathologists, therefore, use powerful microscopes to identify, diagnose, and guide treatment for patients. In this course, you will be introduced to various scientific instruments and learn how these instruments enable scientists and doctors to view, identify, and classify cells. In addition to lectures and research, this class will include hands-on learning and laboratory experiences. By the end of the course, you will be able to visualize different cell types, understand how samples are acquired, learn the current limitations of microscopy, and consider where the future of imaging is headed.
Kai Bracey is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University. His research is centered on pancreatic beta-cell structure and insulin secretion. Kai graduated from Hampton University with his B.S. in 2014 and his Masters from Fisk University in 2016. Kai has trained numerous students in lab techniques and has been a special lecturer at both his prior institutions. When Kai is not staring down a microscope, he enjoys playing basketball, cooking, and woodworking. Kai also has an ever-growing collection of Jordans (his wife may say he has a shoe problem).
Med School 101
Instructor: Vanderbilt School of Medicine Medical Students
Medicine, Biology, Chemistry
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is one of the top hospitals in the country, so it is no surprise that the medical school is at the forefront when it comes to technology and teaching. In this course, you will work with many of the same computer and virtual medical simulations as Vanderbilt medical students and use problem-based learning to analyze and diagnose real medical case studies. Taught by a team of medical students, this course will utilize small group discussions, faculty lectures, lab exercises, and the latest resources and technologies from the Vanderbilt School of Medicine to learn about the practice, ethics, and social impact of modern medicine.
Prerequisites: Biology, Chemistry (Transcript Required)
*NOTE: VUMC insurance and safety regulations state that students must be 16 years old by July 10 to participate. This policy is non-negotiable.
Additional Requirement: Upon placement in a class, additional required forms will need to be completed for VUMC; some sections may duplicate PTY's required paperwork.
This class is in partnership with the Vanderbilt School of Medicine.
Modern Methods of Cancer Research
Instructor: Kennady Bullock
Biology, Pharmacology
Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the United States. Our understanding, however, of this complex set of diseases continues to deepen every day through the efforts of scientists and researchers. Beginning with an introduction to the basics of what makes a cancer cell a cancer cell, you will explore the laboratory techniques utilized by researchers to uncover the secrets of tumor cells and develop novel treatment strategies. You will learn about the cutting-edge methods used by today's scientists to advance our understanding of various topics, including the molecular origins of cancer, the clinical detection of tumors, and the development of new therapies. By the end of this course, you will begin to develop a practical and critical understanding of how various scientific methods are applied to cancer research. You will then draw on this foundational knowledge to conceptualize and present your own research project related to a modern method of cancer research.
Kennady Bullock is a Ph.D. student in Vanderbilt's Pharmacology program. She previously served as a teaching assistant for Vanderbilt's undergraduate Introduction to Biological Sciences laboratory course. Her current research is focused on the development of novel combination therapies that will make triple-negative breast tumors more responsive to immunotherapies. Her research also involves the development of patient-derived organoid models that allow for efficient testing of drug combinations, and she is interested in developing better model systems that will allow pre-clinical findings to have more relevance to clinical applications.
Navigating the U.S. Policy Process: From Creation to Implementation
Instructor: Christine Dickason
Public Policy, Social Science, Economics
Every day, public policy is created and implemented in a range of arenas from local government agencies to the U.S. Congress. How do research and public opinion inform policy and decision-makers? How do advocates use their voice and communication skills to advance their policies? How can policy address issues of equity? In this course, you will step into the role of a policy analyst and examine key issues through the lens of the social sciences and economics where you will utilize the same research methods and statistical coding software as policy analysts to leverage theory and technical skills to engage contemporary hot-button policy issues. Be prepared to grapple with current political topics, such as immigration, healthcare, taxation, education, and foreign policy, as you strengthen your voice and perspective by participating in policy debate supporting your arguments using your new toolbox of skills learned in this class.
Christine Dickason is a doctoral student in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University, where she studies college access for underserved communities and high school counselors. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy Leadership from the University of Mississippi, and a Master's in Public Policy from George Washington University. Prior to Vanderbilt, Christine worked in Washington, D.C. in a variety of organizations, including the White House Office of the First Lady, the Government Accountability Office, the Center for American Progress, and the Global Development Incubator. In her free time, she enjoys anything related to cooking—from exploring local farmers' markets to testing out new recipes—and trying to hit her annual Goodreads goal.
Netflix and Phil: Modern Political Theory and Comparative Politics
Instructor: Rho Townsley
Political Theory, Philosophy, Pop Culture
How would an Aristotelian critique the labor system in the Divergent movies? What arguments would Socrates, Nietzsche, and Sartre have about the show The Good Place, or perhaps the Marvel Universe? How might recent turns in feminist and decolonial theory challenge these classical readings of modern media and pop culture? In this course, you will be introduced to the arguments and philosophies of canonical political theorists who have had a radical impact on the nature of political thought, government, policy, and society. You will learn how to critically read primary texts in their historical and political contexts and begin to acquire fluency in several key, canonical theorists across the centuries of political thought. After developing this framework through analysis, concept mapping and lively debate, you will select from syllabus-approved modern tv shows and/or movies to leverage and apply your new understandings in a collaboratively created and curated final project. This project might be a short critical paper, a short audio or video recording, a presentation, a performance, or an individual philosophical media analysis based on the work of political theorist. At the end of this course, you will be able to employ modern analytical and philosophical frameworks to analyze the everyday – specifically, contemporary culture and entertainment. If you in are interested in a career in politics, law, or media, or you are potentially interested in graduate work in political theory, pop culture analysis or philosophy, this is the course for you!
Rho Townsley is a 4th year doctoral student in Political Theory and Comparative Politics here at Vanderbilt. She holds an M.A. in Social Justice and Human Rights from ASU and was a teacher for eight years before joining the Vanderbilt Community. She has pedagogical training in creative and interactive teaching methods and is committed to creating classes that are engaging, educational, relevant, and exciting. Rho loves to travel and has lived and taught in Ethiopia, South Korea, and Vietnam. While oversees, her favorite courses to teach were Creative Writing, Politics and Art, and Debate. She enjoys the Nashville music community and hiking in the Smokies when not busy with her studies.
Treating the Whole Person: A Multidisciplinary Understanding of Healthcare and Social Context
Instructor: Kanah Lewallen, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, GNP-BC
Social Science, Public Health
How do factors like race, gender, sexual identity, religion, environment, and economic status impact one's health? This course focuses on the need to combine an understanding of the social determinants of health with scientific knowledge to maximize the quality of health for all people. Course instructors use simulated experiences and case studies to stimulate critical thinking and identify novel approaches to how healthcare should be provided while considering individual circumstances and identities. Be ready to discuss health issues from multiple and diverse perspectives. If you are analytical and enjoy challenging assumptions and engaging in data-driven discussions, or if you are considering a career in healthcare (e.g., nursing, medicine, pharmacy, public health, social work, physical/occupational/speech therapy, policy, or law), then this course will set you on a path of discovery in this amazing field.
This class is in partnership with the Vanderbilt School of Nursing.
Kanah Lewallen, DNP, AGPCNP-BC, GNP-BC is an Assistant Professor in Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN). Dr. Lewallen instructs graduate nurse practitioner students as they complete clinical coursework. She provides didactic teaching focused on the care of the older adult. She enjoys providing content in engaging ways by using technology and simulation, bringing excitement to the classroom. Dr. Lewallen also works as a Nurse Practitioner caring for older adults and works with the Vanderbilt Center for Quality Aging researching the older adult population. In her life away from Vanderbilt, Dr. Lewallen enjoys spending time with her husband, 4-year-old daughter, 9-month-old son, and 2 Siberian huskies.
Water is critical for human life. You interact and ingest water every single day and don't think twice. How do you know, however, that the water you are drinking is clean when pollution is leading to a variety of problems associated with global human health? Ensuring you and future generations have access to safe water is the job of environmental scientists working in the specialized field of water quality. In this course, you will have the opportunity to work as an environmental field scientist, analyzing the health of the water in Middle Tennessee! In your research, you will consider questions, such as 'How do scientists measure/quantify the level of contamination in a water source?' and 'How do we treat contaminated water?', as well as 'What are the impacts on human health?' You will collect data from field surveys and experiments, use descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze your results, and present your findings to your peers like a research scientist. In your final project, you will write and present to your class a mock white paper to the TN Department of Environment and Conservation detailing your research findings and offering recommendations for potential new laws and regulations. Expect to leave this course knowing how to code in R (the standard in statistical programming languages) and how to describe and analyze data sets from the environmental sciences. Expect also to leave with a newfound appreciation for the work of field research and for the processes that govern and shape the natural waters around us.
Instructor: Jan Harris
Creative Writing, Literature
As aspiring authors know, short fiction can be what William Faulkner called "the most demanding" form of prose. Our class will help you to develop the skills necessary to rise to Mr. Faulkner's challenge. You will explore the short fiction genre through critical reading of classic and cutting-edge examples from authors such as Jhumpa Lahiri, Chimamanda Adichie, and Flannery O'Connor. Daily writing and review will help you refine your craft. You will conclude this class, having completed several of your own short stories that evince your stronger writing and revision skills, as well as your voice and style.
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Sistem Informasi PCNU Kabupaten Garut
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


late Old English; see here + of. Cf. Danish hereaf, Swedish häraf.
And hereof you are not to fail, as you will answer the contrary at your perils.
But hereof let God be iudge, vnto whome the cause belongeth.
Hereof fail not and make Return of this writ with your doings therein.
Hereof fail you not, as you will answer the contrary at your perils.
And hereof all persons concerned are to take notice at their perils.
Hereof is the lordship of thought rather than of the animal world.
But hereof enough, and therefore to come again unto our brawn.
Hereof had they bethought them ere yet they came to counsel.
But hereof it availeth nought for me to speak any longer, for thine ears are deaf to these words, and thou wilt not hear them.
Hereof rise two kinds of death, for either we are slaine, or drowned, and against such euils haue we no remedie nor helpe at all.


Ms. Devero draws upon nearly 30 years of experience in the private and non-profit sectors. In her last position Ms. Devero was the Director of International Programs for the Center for Climate Strategies. Ms. Devero's primary role at The Center for Climate Strategies was to deliver international program assistance to countries with an interest in developing effective policy responses to climate change, particularly in China where she helped craft a capacity building program for national and provincial government officials. Ms. Devero orchestrated the recognition of the Center for Climate Strategies as a strategic nongovernmental presence at the United Nation's Climate Conferences in Copenhagen and Mexico. Along with its partner in China, the Global Environmental Institute (GEI), the Center for Climate Strategies jointly presented side-events focused on the need to build a strong China-U.S. partnership on mitigating climate change at the provincial level.
Ms. Devero was a former Management Consulting Partner with Coopers and Lybrand and Senior Manager with Peat Marwick. During her tenure with these firms she provided consulting to over 150 U.S. and international corporations on the strategic use of information and communications technology to enhance access, quality and productivity. Ms. Devero's "project turnaround" practice rescued large computer systems projects that were failing at major corporations where there were millions of dollars at stake and put them back on track. Projects typically involved the direct interface at the CEO level and the management of 15-20 person professional teams.
Ms. Devero holds a Masters in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, DC, with a focus on International Energy Policy and Environmental Studies, and a B.S. in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland.


Vanessa Morgan is the author of Drowned Sorrow and The Strangers Outside. The latter is currently being made into a film.
I've always been fascinated with horror movies and the paranormal. I don't know where it comes from; I just know it's been there ever since I was born. As a child, I tortured my Barbie dolls and I loved going to video stores to look at the covers of horror movies, hoping that I would be able to see them one day. It was natural for me to start writing horror books and screenplays.
Horror movies and books never frighten me anymore, but in real life I'm scared of almost everything. I would never do something remotely risky such as a parachute jump or a rollercoaster ride. I'm also scared to fail and to lose someone I love.
That's a good question. It got me thinking. I believe that for me, writing horror is a way to cope with fears from real life, but does that mean that women are generally less anxious? Maybe it's the contrary… maybe women are too fragile to have something to do with horror. I'm just thinking out loud here, but I don't really have an answer.
I can't think of any. Who knows, I might discover some wonderful female authors now that it's the Women in Horror Month.
The same as to any other writer: be honest in what you write, don't give up, improve yourself, write what you want to read, and don't forget to have fun and live a little while doing this.
My favourite authors are Michel Houellebeck, Carol Drinkwater, Wei Hui, Daph Nobody, John Saul, Michael Chrichton and many others; not many horror authors as you can see. My influences come primarily from horror movies though. I think it shows. My stories are visual, fast-paced and to-the-point. The movies from M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, The Village) come close to my own work, as well as those from Jaume Balaguero (The Nameless, Darkness) and Hideo Nakata (The Ring, Dark Water).
My favourite character is Jennifer in my short story The Strangers Outside because I based her on my younger sister. Jennifer is the kind of girl that seems cursed with bad luck and I think that many people might recognize themselves in her.
Can you tell us about your book, Drowned Sorrow?
Drowned Sorrow is the story of a remote New England village where water has become a supernatural element that can think, move… and kill. A mother who has lost her son in a family tragedy travels to the village with her daughter, but by the time she realizes that her daughter's life is in danger, it might already be too late.
Your novella, The Strangers Outside, is being made into a movie. Can you tell us about it?
The Strangers Outside is actually being made into a film as we speak. It's a Belgian production starring Pierre Lekeux, Iulia Alexandra Nastase and my cat Avalon. The filming is finished and they are now in the editing stage. I've posted photos of the filming locations on my blog at http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/2010/08/strangers-outside-filming-locations.html and another set of photos of the film shoot at http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/2010/09/behind-scenes-of-strangers-outside.html. Images of The Strangers Outside have also been used for the music video of Alex Corbi's latest track (http://vanessa-morgan.blogspot.com/2011/01/strangers-outside-in-music-video.html).
No, not yet. I'm planning on purchasing a Kindle, but I have approaching deadlines for several screenplays and other stories and not enough time to read right now. Apparently, more e-books have been sold last year than normal books, but many people still seem hesitant to use an e-reader, especially in Europe. It's good though that with e-books everyone can be a published author these days. It's still hard work if you want to do it good, but writers are so much closer to seeing their dreams come true.
Both Drowned Sorrow and The Strangers Outside are terrifying. They will definitely freak you out. There hasn't been one review that didn't talk about the creepy aspect of those books. Drowned Sorrow has even been called 'the scariest story of the year'.
Even though I will continue to write horror novels and short stories, I am currently concentrating on my work as a screenwriter just because I get more contracts there. I'm in the middle of writing a vampire movie for Radowski Films. I'm also doing a weekly online cartoon starring my cat Avalon (http://avalon-lion.blogspot.com).


Cameron Gill's exhibition, Inhabit explores the loose documentation of place inhabited by the artist; a small cottage surrounded by tall pines, tucked behind the Wombat State Forest. In creating these works on canvas he pays homage to this area, to its darkness, it's density, openness, and it's light.
Gill is an emerging artist from Melbourne Australia, whose studio practice is currently based out of the defunct Daylesford Abattoir. Gills practice is project based, working predominantly with paint, in one style or another, depending on the nature of the project.
Personal photographs are often the starting point from which works evolve in his studio, however paintings and painters, past and present, wanderings, and chance, help move his paintings away from photography to talk more about painting itself.
The artist is interested in what it means to be an Australian painter, if that's even important, can you avoid it, would you, why, how do you paint an Australian idea, what the hell is an Australian idea, its perhaps not so important to answer these questions, but to grapple with them.
A new interest in the natural landscape has dominated his practice of late, however this shift from suburban to rural landscapes still holds at its heart a quiet celebration of the ordinary.


We have partnered with groups throughout the state of North Carolina in order to bring engineering summer camp experiences to more children. We hope to offer programs at additional locations around the state in future years. At all locations, students will experience engineering through hands-on, creative investigations and design activities.
Select the links below to find out more about the programs offered at each North Carolina location.
The Alamance Engineering Summer Camp is held at the Alamance Community College will be for rising 3rd through 5th graders. The camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will cost $75. Apply online via this link. The application deadline is April 30, 2019.
For additional information, please visit the Alamance Engineering Camp page. Teachers are welcome to apply via this application.
In 2019, Engineering Camp Charlotte will return to Queens University of Charlotte with week long day camps for students in rising 3rd – 8th grades. Our high school day camp program will be accepting students in rising 9th – 11th grades.
This year, the Charlotte program will allow for automatic enrollment. Cost per camp varies per camp (with an option for lunch).
Enrollment begins January 2, 2019 at www.engineeringcampcharlotte.com. Contact Jennifer Thompson with questions: jennifer@cynosurelearning.com or (980) 500-9345.
To find out more about these to camp opportunities for rising 4th through 8th graders, please see Please see this website for more information.
Contact Susan Lloyd if you have any questions. She can be reached via phone at 252.444.3357 or email at slprice@ncsu.edu.
Appalachian State University, Catawba County Champions of Education and NC State University have partnered together once again to bring engineering summer camps to elementary, middle and high school students! The camps will be held at the North Carolina Center for Engineering Technologies (NCCET) in Hickory and will be led by licensed K-12 educators in partnership with Appalachian State University and NC State University faculty and students. Applicants will be able to choose from six different camps this summer, a general engineering camp, a robotics focused camp, a coding camp, a product development and a building and construction camp.
For additional information and all application information, please go to the NCCET website. If you still have questions, please email NCCET directly.
The Burke Engineering Summer Camps are held at the Foothills Higher Education Center in Morganton and will be for rising kindergarten through 10th graders. The camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and will cost $225. Apply online via this link.
For additional information, please go to Burke Engineering Camps Web page or this link to apply.
UNC-Pembroke and NC State University College of Engineering are partnering together to bring engineering summer camps for rising 3rd through 8th graders to Pembroke. Each year, we'll have fun new challenges for campers to experience. Camps run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For additional information and how to apply, please visit their website.
The Spindale camp for rising 7th through rising 11th graders will be held on the Isothermal Community College campus in Spindale, NC. For additional information and how to apply, please visit their website and Facebook page.
The Wilson camp will be held this coming summer on the campus of Wilson Community College in Wilson, NC. The curriculum is new every year, so students may return for new challenges. All rising 3rd – 5th grade students may apply for the elementary camp and all 6th – 9th grade students may apply for the middle school camp. Cost of the camp is $150 per student if the student resides in Nash, Edgecombe, Wilson, Halifax or Northampton Counties. If a student lives outside these counties, the cost will be $250. The application deadline is May 31, 2019.
Please download and print the Student Application Form. Mailing instructions are listed on the application.
For additional questions, please contact Betty Jones (252.813.8934) or Dr. Kathy Lawson (252.813.7510). Teachers interested in any of the positions, may apply via the Teacher Application Form.


Authentic Caribbean Pirate Adult Costume | Get this authentic Caribbean pirate adult costume for a realistic pirate look this Halloween. Our authentic pirate costume comes with all the essential accessories.
Taking up the life of a pirate is no easy task and only the truly dedicated should go though with it. What is so rough about the swashbuckling life style? First off you'll be spending a great deal of your time on a boat, which if you get seasick means you should maybe look at a blacksmith's job. Secondly you'll have to always be on the look out for islands with lost treasure on it which means you'll have to have a trained eye. If you feel like you can do those things and more then suit pirate and hit the seas with the best of them.


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Deomyinae — підродина гризунів родини мишевих (Muridae). Підродина утворена на основі генетичних досліджень і може бути розширена, оскільки багато родів мишевих, які нині включені до підродин Murinae чи Dendromurinae, ніколи не були піддані молекулярному філогенетичному аналізу. Всі роди знаходяться в Африці. На даний час 4 роди і 54 види, складають підродину Deomyinae.

Посилання
 Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed)

Мишеві

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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szukane wyrażenie: "metodologia teologii" | znaleziono 2 opisów(-y) | strona: 1 spośród: 1
autor: Strumiłowski, J.P.
tytuł: Średniowieczna teologia cysterska, czyli theoria w służbie praxis
słowa kluczowe: metodologia teologii — średniowiecze — monastycyzm
Medieval Cistercian Theology that is Theoria in the Service of Praxis
In every age, theology on one hand grows from certain conditions of the era, but on the other hand it influences the lives of the Christians. Theologies of various periods are different in character, which is connected not only with the philosophical context, but also with the existential one. What is more, various theological models originated in different periods. One of the most prominent examples of this phenomenon is the medieval coexistence of scholasticism and monastic theology.
A closer look at the monastic theology, which is less known than scholasticism, may provide us with some important indications as to the formation of such theology which would resist the domination of philosophical patterns of thought, highlight the experience and foster the integration of Christian practice with the content of professed faith. In fact, these aspects seem to characterize the Cistercian monastic theology, but simultaneously they constitute some kind of catalogue of disorders of contemporary theologies.
autor: Słomka, J.
tytuł: Metodologia teologii duchowości
słowa kluczowe: metodologia teologii — teologia duchowości
Methodology of Spiritual Theology
Spiritual theology deals with the spiritual experience of individual persons. As a branch of theology, it builds on the assumption that every person is an image of God, and thus every human life contains a spiritual dimension. The sources of spiritual theology include any texts describing spiritual life, especially the works of the great Masters, but also the liturgy of the Church. The texts of the magisterium of the Church are also considered as a source, but, unlike in dogmatic or moral theology, their importance is limited. Spiritual theology aims to profoundly understand the inner structure of spiritual life in its various forms and demonstrate their mutual relations. The ultimate goal is to describe spiritual life in a way that helps to "discern the spirits", to discriminate between the right and the erroneous paths of such life. The nature of the subject matter suggests that phenomenological method should be given priority in the research. Various methods of hermeneutics can also be helpful in the study of the texts.
Spiritual theology is closely related to dogmatic and moral theology, but the nature of their mutual relationships is complex. Spiritual theology should maintain a distance towards the modern human sciences: it must not assume their perspective of human being.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


An unprecedented 19.5 million people made 400 million visits to their local canal or river, based upon our regular surveys.
Volunteering with us rose by 14% and exceeded 400,000 hours for the first time – with volunteers involved in everything from conservation and education to working as lock keepers.
Over 100 community groups have now 'adopted' their stretch of canal – working with us to look after their local waterway.
At 31 March, over 11,000 people were donating each month to support our work – contributing to voluntary donations of £1.6 million – and rising still, with 13,000 'Friends' donating as at 1 July.
A small increase in the number of boats on the canals – up 1% to 32,700 boats licensed at 31 March.
A strong financial performance in 2014/15 saw income rise 10% to £180 million, with £137 million invested by the Trust on our charitable activities (up from £124 million in 2013/14). This included the spend on repairing and improving the condition of our 200-year old network of reservoirs, aqueducts, locks, bridges, towpaths, culverts and embankments as well as the replacement of 150 lock gates and dredging 130,000 tonnes of silt to improve the passage for boaters.
The year also saw the launch of our ambitious vision, supported by a ten-year strategy that sets out the future trajectory for the organisation. This includes wider public engagement and improved customer service, increased community involvement, support for further restoration of derelict waterways, and continued growth in volunteering.
Richard Parry, our chief executive comments: "When the Trust was first conceived, those involved must have hoped for something like the year we have enjoyed, with growing income and more work delivered – and with more interest in canals than since the hey-day of the Industrial Revolution.
"We've established a strong financial foundation; inspired growing interest in visiting, caring for, and using our canals and rivers; and developed an ever-widening range of relationships with third parties willing to promote, fund and support us.
Chair Tony Hales, who will retire from the Canal & River Trust after its Annual Public Meeting in September, comments: "Our canals are better used, enjoyed and valued than ever before and our new strategy has people at its heart. I am particularly pleased that this past year has seen so many new people getting involved with our work either as volunteers or partners.
The condition of the Trust's locks, bridges, aqueducts and other principal assets improved with only 14% in the lowest condition grades (D and E), continuing the improving trend seen over the past decade.
A continued growth in the number of children who took part in one of the Trust's Explorers education events – to a record 43,000.
£12 million secured from lotteries, grant making trusts and other funders to help look after the nation's third largest collection of listed structures and hundreds of wildlife and conservation sites.
Working with volunteers to reconnect a short stretch of Montgomery Canal to the main canal network, opening it up to boats for the first time in 80 years.
The appointment of a boater welfare officer to work with partner agencies in support of boaters who have fallen on hard times.
Influencing government to adopt our proposal, with the Inland Waterways Association, to re-align HS2 at Fradley Junction in Staffordshire, to reduce its impact on this important canal location.
Completion of the first phase of a major project to improve access to the national important waterways archives – with 37,000 records and over 22,000 historic images now available digitally for the first time.
Award of the Carbon Trust Standard for cutting emissions by 13.5 per cent – the equivalent to an annual reduction of around 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The Canal & River Trust's Annual Public Meeting will take place at 10am on 23 September at Church House Conference Centre, Westminster, London, SW1P 3NZ. To book a place visit: canalrivertrustapm.eventbrite.com.


When I was in elementary school, I learned about our system of government and its checks and balances. I knew that our democracy had its problems, and we have corrupt politicians and whatnot, but I believed in the system. I think of our government as being resilient, and that as our society and people grow and learn and improve, that our countries policies would too. That's how we expanded voting rights, and improved equality, and so many other things.
I don't know what I'm going to teach my son. The next few months and years will determine that. But right now, I see our checks and balances being undermined. The highest court in the land is being stacked with pro-Trump justices, gerrymandering has contributed to Republican majorities in federal and local positions, and now the person overseeing the investigations related to our president has been replaced by a person who is avowedly pro-Trump.
Marching probably doesn't do a lot of good. At least, not in Springfield. But it is better to do something than nothing, and it gives me the opportunity to write about it. If nothing else, I can teach Simon about why we fight losing battles. It is important that we communicate our ethics, morals, and values.
I was dismayed by the results of the presidential election. I wasn't upset just because I dislike President Trump and pretty much everything that he stands for, nor was I only baffled because the majority of people polled said Trump wasn't qualified to be president and yet at least 16% of those people voted for him anyways. I'm not disappointed just because my side lost and the other side won. I recognize that the other side felt that way the last two elections, and we have some core differences of opinion, and I'm OK with that.
So what can I do? I believe in democracy. I think our system, as flawed as it is, is still the best form of government that humanity has devised thus far. I believe that, following an election, we as a citizenry should coalesce behind the new president and give them a shot. We should hold them accountable and speak our minds and write our representatives, but there's no going back. Not for four years, at least.
But if I think that the direction we're going politically is a bad one, what can I do to change that? The standard advice is to be active at the local and state level. If we change local politics, we'll change national politics. Except my local and state elections all sided with a man I find morally reprehensible and who advocates policies that I perceive as anti-American. I don't feel like I have any power to change local politics because, again, the majority of people appear to have repudiated what I stand for. Nearly every down-ballot election in Missouri and Greene County went to the GOP, frequently by a landslide. If the majority has said that they disagree with me, what can I do about that given my support for our system of government?
I was walking yesterday and thinking about how I manage culture change at businesses, and my preferred method is through collaborative storytelling. I believe that we become like the stories we tell ourselves, both individually and culturally. If we tell ourselves we are weak and incapable, we will become those things. If we tell ourselves that we are strong and righteous, we will live our lives that way (for better or worse, for we may not actually be right, but instead tyrannical).
We have been told a story of fear. There were a lot of factors at play in this election, but a common thread over the last year of campaigning has been fear, abandonment, and oppression. People are afraid of losing their jobs and their rights. They're afraid of terrorists. They're afraid of change. They're afraid that the political system has abandoned them and their beliefs. They're afraid that a party will be elected who opposes their views. And a majority of people got out and voted for the person they think will best address those fears.
I can understand that. I totally get it. And I'm not going to speculate on whether those fears are right or wrong. I think some of them were justified. But I also know that God does not want us to fear. God does not call us to live our lives that way.
So what can I do to fix things? How can I change our society? I am very limited in what I can accomplish. I am not a political scientist or politician. I'm not particularly charismatic. I don't have billions of dollars. But what I can do is be positive and encouraging. I can tell stories that highlight the good things happening in our society.
I haven't figured out what this looks like yet; I'm still processing. But I may start writing poetry again, because I don't think people really want to read my long-winded blog posts, and I'm not fond of the idea of writing in to the newspaper regularly (for myself personally; other people do well at that). I don't know much about journalism, but I think I need to learn a few things about it. How can I tell stories with which people will connect? How can I encourage people given my limitations?
If we change the story that we tell about ourselves and our nation, and we make it a story not of fear but of hope, and a story that highlights people who are different from us and yet so very similar, and stories about people's families and hopes and dreams and loves and losses and fears and their journey to overcome those fears… well, maybe that's something I can do. I don't know, but if you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you always got. Voting isn't moving our country the direction I want to see it go. Neither is posting on Facebook and trying to have conversations with people about the things our politicians do. Maybe telling stories about the good things happening around us will help. Maybe it won't, but I think it's a place to start and a thing to try.
On Tuesday, Springfield has an opportunity to vote on the Sexual Orientation and Transgender Anti-Discrimination Ordinance (SOGI) that was passed by city council some time ago and which some people now want to repeal. Voting no means we won't repeal it, and the ordinance will remain. I will be voting no for a few different reasons that I want to share, but I'm not looking to convince anyone about how they should vote with this post. Rather, my hope is that people who agree with me, and who also think that we should not discriminate against people as a general rule, will be reminded and motivated to go vote on Tuesday.
It is tempting to remain silent and to not vote. A lot of people I know are conservative Christians who believe strongly that homosexuality is a sin, and while they may not be comfortable with the idea of discriminating against people, it's so much easier to just stand on the sidelines. I feel strongly that God calls us to speak out. We cannot remain silent. Jesus surely did not, and while he was clear about what he viewed as sin, he welcomed sinners and lambasted those who sinned sexually far less than those who persecuted others.
One of the arguments against this ordinance is that there's no proof that discrimination has happened. I agree, there isn't, but the debate and furor that has arisen while this ordinance has been under consideration demonstrates two things. First, there are clearly negative feelings towards homosexual and transgendered people in our community. Not long ago, I don't think people would have thought about discriminating against a gay or lesbian person in a normal store (by which I mean, not a church or a church-affiliated business, like the Assemblies of God Credit Union or a Christian bookstore), but they surely are thinking about it now. All the town hall meetings and public displays have demonstrated to me that there are a lot of people who want to discriminate, even if they hadn't thought about it before. That's unsettling to me.
Second, all of this has to feel threatening to members of our community who are homosexual or transgendered. Like harassment, which is defined by the person experiencing the harassment, I think when the actions of our community make a people group feel threatened, we need to address that publicly and loudly. We need to say, as a community, that we will not tolerate our neighbors feeling threatened.
My job, as a follower of Christ, is to go and make disciples. I am called to love God and love my neighbor as myself. Some might say that holding people accountable and making sure they know their actions are leading them to hell is part of love, and I suppose a case could be made there if you think homosexuality is a damning sin. Except that none of us know the state of a person's soul. C.S. Lewis writes that we cannot know if a person is Christian or not, only if they are good or bad at being Christian, and we know that by the fruits of the Spirit. And I will say, as someone gifted with discernment and prophecy, as a Christian for the last thirteen years or so, and as someone who has studied the Bible critically and academically and prayerfully, I have met gay and lesbian people who are bearing fruit.
What do you do, when you think someone is a sinner, and yet God is investing in their life, gifting them, loving them, and working through them? I suppose only two reasonable conclusions are possible. Either God is more gracious than me, and I ought to learn to become more like God, or maybe I'm wrong about this act or lifestyle actually separating people from God.
All of that is in the back of my mind, but it's beside the point. More important to me is that I've had LGBTQIA friends since before I became Christian. I have watched a transgendered man struggle for years with gender dysphoria who is an upstanding person, wonderful to his husband and two children, and struggling with a society both offline and online that insults, marginalizes, and discriminates against him, inflicting more suffering than I know my Lord and Savior tolerates for any of the people for whom He died. Jesus came to build bridges, bring healing, and help us learn to be in relationship with one another.
Check out the links below for the full text of the ordinance and for a great article in our local newspaper that explains some of the nuances of the ordinance. If you read the ordinance itself, though, you'll find it's not very nuanced. It's really quite straightforward. Religious organizations like churches can still discriminate all they want. Pastors aren't going to be fired for preaching against homosexuality. Landlords and realtors cannot refuse to work with homosexual people or rent/sell them property. Non-religious businesses in general have to serve homosexuals, just like they have to serve Jews, and Blacks, and Italians, and the Irish, and Catholics.
The only negative about voting for this ordinance is that businesses and individuals can be challenged if they are discriminatory. That's the only thing being taken away: non-religious businesses can't act like homosexuals aren't human beings. That is a very fine thing to stand up for, in my opinion. All people deserve dignity and respect, and to be treated with love and care. We have a Servant King, and we should not hesitate to serve anyone. Instead, we should serve them with prayers in our heart and songs on our lips. We should serve people smiling and joyous that we get the opportunity to be like Jesus.
Mark it on your calendar. Set a reminder. Vote against discrimination on Tuesday, April 7th by voting no on question 1.
I probably don't follow local politics as closely as I ought. I met the council member who represented my zone of the city once. I will occasionally hear about stuff that the city council is discussing, and I vote regularly, but I don't really have my finger on the pulse of the city. If the city had low blood pressure and an arrhythmic heart, I might not notice for a while.
So, apparently Friday is a challenging day for me to blog. I'll just write twice today and that'll make it all better, right? Right?!
The eastern seaboard is nowhere close to recovered from hurricane Sandy, but knowing our great country as I do, I suspect we're close to done hearing about it. We lack the attention span for any one disaster, and the looming disaster of the election will take all the attention we can muster.
But before we switch focuses, I want to point out one thing. I think this is sort of the thread that ties all the controversy around Sandy together, which will probably go down in history as the second most politicised natural disaster in our history thus far. Beyond Romney buying cans of food to give to supporters to give back to him for a photo op despite the Red Cross telling him not to do any of that, and regardless of all the great press Obama has gotten from palling around with Chris Christie, there is a more theoretical criticism floating around that I want to address.


text:
Hudson Valley P-TECH: Getting college started in ninth grade to meet the demands of business
BY JANIE ROSMAN
There's a segment of ninth grade students who are in college and who carry IDs: meet the P-TECH class of 2020.
The New York State Pathways in Technology Early College High School program — a partnership of Rockland BOCES, Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, Southern Westchester BOCES, State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome (SUNYIT), SUNY Rockland Community College and Westchester Community College — is project-based for problem-solving and prepares students for skilled jobs the business community needs.
"What makes it unique is it's not about K-12 telling businesses what's important, it's about businesses telling us what they need," Rockland BOCES Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services Dr. Charlene Jordan said.
Students are dually enrolled in both the high school and college, and maintain ties to their school district, earning a Regents diploma, an associate's degree and work experience. Having the same classmates for six years gives some a sense of security and eliminates the "who will be in my class" feeling some students feel each September.
One motivating factor is that business partners are very engaged with the students.
"I don't want kids to think they have to know what they want to be when they want to grow up," P-TECH Principal Natasha Shea said.
More important is building a relationship. "I tell them to pick someone they can learn from as a professional since that person will mentor them for six years," Shea said. "I also tell them to pay attention to who that person knows to learn about networking."
P-TECH is mutually benefitting the students and work force by making sure students understand what it means to be a worker and a college student, and knowing they'll have needed skills for employers when they graduate.
"They (business partners) come to school and meet with students, shake their hands, look them in the eye. Students' confidence levels are there, and it's hard to believe they're in the ninth grade," Rockland Community College STEM & Health Professions Division Chair Kristopher M. Baker, Ph.D., explained.
One business partner, OnForce Solar — which constructed the state's first solar force field on the decommissioned capped landfill in Clarkstown — invited students to attend the site's ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Neil Weiss (of OnForce) spoke with students about science and math related to the project," Shea said. "Students have really grown and learned from the experience of networking."
Their college status is also a confidence-booster. Students had September orientation at RCC, they carry college IDs and have RCC email addresses, and "for a ninth grader out of middle school, this is phenomenal," Baker said.
A state grant of $2.6 million enabled the program to open this past September at Orangetown Middle School, one of 16 sites statewide, in collaboration with North Rockland High School, Rockland BOCES, and RCC. The original plan was to open the P-TECH program in Rockland and in Westchester County so students who live in each county can remain there. "Oangetown gave us a wing (in its school), so we have more space than we need right now," Shea said.
More than 40 school districts participate, and any school in those districts can send students to the P-TECH program. Students enrolled are from East Ramapo, North Rockland, Nyack, Ramapo Central, South Orangetown and Chappaqua school districts.
Tuition for the full-day, six-year program is an estimated $48,000 after state reimbursement. Districts fund the program based on the number of students from each districts and reimbursed a percentage from state aid. P-TECH tracks them and flags them differently. Since college courses begin in 10th grade, students can change programs after their sophomore year because they're only taking two intro college courses that are the same in all three degree pathways.
P-TECH is considering enrolling students who will be in 10th grade next year.
"They have to be STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), at-risk, have good attendance, and are not meeting their potential because they need more hands-on experience, Jordan said. "The application process involves the district and parents, and ultimately, the district has to agree to send the students to P-TECH."
A Westchester location for P-TECH will open in September on the campus of Southern Westchester BOCES, adjacent to Westchester Community College in Valhalla.
For information, call 845-680-1036 or email [email protected]
Hudson Valley P-TECH: Getting college started in ninth grade to meet the demands of business added by dskriloff on December 18, 2014