Summer's here and so is Duke Youth Programs! Register for our July session today!

Duke Youth Programs’ Summer Online Program offers two sessions of classes for middle and high school students. Our next session of programs will meet during the weeks of July 13 - July 24.  Classes will meet synchronous from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and asynchronous from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm (EST).

Session II Programs:

Neurosciences Program:
Our core goal has always been to get campers excited about neuroscientific research and technologies, and we have the resources to maximize remote neuroscience learning experience thanks to Duke University and the technology and access to academic experts it affords. Students will will come together online to discuss interesting facets from topics like sensation, perception, learning, memory, endocrinology, psychopharmacology, and more. Instructors will share lectures in real-time over Zoom, give remote demonstrations, and supplement the curriculum with workshops that can be conducted online and offline.

Cracking the Code: High School Cryptology Program:
The practice of cracking codes involves honing your general problem solving skills - tenacity, perspicacity, creativity, flexibility, and confidence. Students will be able to employ these skills in their future challenges and puzzles that modern life provides for us all! Each day of the program will include live video instruction and discussion as a class, as well as self-paced modules that students will work on independently with support of the staff and their fellow students.

Duke Young Writers:
Our Young Writers Program is back for another session. Here are the courses being offered in July. For more details on each course, visit our website:

Should you write about COVID-19 in your college application?

More than a few students lately have been puzzling through how (and if) they should address coronavirus in their application.

As you might expect, I put together a guide. Check it out:

Guide to Writing about COVID-19

It's pretty comprehensive, covering everything from the new Common App 250-word COVID-specific question to the 650-word additional information section and even tips for the very small percentage of students who may want to make it their personal statement topic.

And (because folks ask), feel free to share this with students or link on your website.

Live Webinar Series for Families in June

Understanding the cost of student loan borrowing: This presentation covers financial literacy topics such as the relative cost of a student loan, loan repayment tools, and tips on managing student loans. It identifies important things students should know about their loan portfolio, identifying their servicers and understanding the cost of their student loan.

Wednesday, June 17: 2pm-3pm EST Register here   Thursday, June 18: 8pm-9pm EST Register here

Sallie Mae’s free Paying for College Resource another great tool you can share with students and families as they navigate their college journey. As always, we are available to answer questions from you or your students directly

Announcing the First Ever Virtual National HBCU Week and Conference

Every year, the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Initiative), Executive Office of the President and U.S. Department of Education look forward to hosting the nation’s premiere gathering of students, stakeholders, supporters and stewards of America’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). 

Today, we are excited to announce the 2020 Virtual National HBCU Week and Conference, September 20-26. 

The 2020 Virtual National HBCU Week and Conference experience is necessary due to uncertainty caused by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and national emergency, which make hosting the in-person conference untenable. Moreover, the Initiative is committed to continuing to leverage our platform to provide meaningful experiences for the HBCU field. Over the next two months, the Initiative will partner with our Federal and non-Federal allies to develop a calendar of online offerings, exploring webinars, conference calls, and other supplementary means, to engage, inform and deliver value to the HBCU community during the 2020 Virtual National HBCU Week and Conference. Expect to hear from us again by mid-August.

Subscribe to our email listserv to stay connected with the latest at www.ed.gov/whhbcu. 

Questions or concerns may be addressed to oswhi-hbcu@ed.gov.    

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to working with you to ensure a spectacular 2020 Virtual National HBCU Week and Conference!

Meaningful Summer Opportunities

These meaningful summer opportunities are the perfect way for extraordinary students to spend their summer!

IMPACT 2020: This engaging virtual program is designed for middle and high school students to connect with other young leaders from across the country, tackle an issue in their community, and make a local impact on global issues through project-based learning. Registration is still open, and financial aid is available. To learn more about IMPACT 2020, a partnership program from Close Up & National Network of Schools in Partnership, please check out this program overview or email me.

ACLU Advocacy Institute: The ACLU is looking for a diverse group of high school students to take part in this week-long virtual program (July 19-24). Designed to bring the next generation of social advocates together to learn directly from ACLU staff and coalition partners, this program allows students to take a deeper look at some of the most important national and state-wide advocacy campaigns. Apply today or join our webinar this Friday, 6/12 at 4 PM EST to learn more!

TRY Engineering Summer Institute

We have been closely monitoring the guidance of health and government officials with regards to COVID-19 in making decisions about the TryEngineering Summer Institute this year. While we were very much hoping that conditions would allow us to hold our two-week engineering program this summer, unfortunately, we have determined that we must cancel the TryEngineering Summer Institute for the 2020 season given the current situation. The health and safety of our students is our first priority. We are looking forward to a healthy and safe 2021, and we hope you will join us again in sharing information about the program next year! In the meantime, we’re pulling together various resources that families can use when learning from home during this critical time of social distancing. We will also be hosting live webinars with hands-on STEM projects that kids can do at home as well as live Q&A sessions with engineers to give students a glimpse into the careers and lives of engineers. You can find the list of events, projects, and more free resources on our blog.

VIEW LIST OF RESOURCES

Please feel free to share these resource with your students and their parents. Thank you for being part of our mission to introduce the next generation to a fulfilling career in engineering and helping to make a difference in the lives of these students.

Questions? Call or email us!
Email: info@tryengineeringinstitute.org
Phone: +1 866 397 2267

VIEW ALL VIRTUAL EVENTS TryEngineering Inspires the Engineers of Tomorrow

FAFSA Frenzy

Counselors and financial aid experts from College Advising Corps, CFNC, and NCSEAA will be on hand for 11 Zoom sessions scheduled throughout the month of June. During these live sessions, students and parents are welcome to ask questions or seek guidance on the FAFSA application and financial aid process.

Monday 6/8 4-5pm Wednesday 6/10 5-6pm Thursday 6/11* 7-8pm Monday 6/15 4-5pm Wednesday 6/17 5-6pm Thursday 6/18* 7-8pm Monday 6/22 4-5pm Wednesday 6/24 5-6pm Thursday 6/25* 7-8pm Monday 6/29* 5-6pm Tuesday 6/30 7-8pm

No reservations are required. *Support will be available for Spanish-speaking students and families.

Find More Info & Live Session Links on the FAFSAFrenzyNC Website

Live Webinar Series for Families in June: How To Pay For College

We are excited to offer our live, Paying for College webinar series, that is available for students, parents and even you or your peers! Please share the information below on your social media sites and via email:

How to Pay the Remaining Balance: Many students and families will consider financing a portion of their college education. The focus of this session will be on encouraging responsible borrowing and what students and families can do to find the right solution for their borrowing needs.

Wednesday, June 10: 1pm-2pm EST Register here   Thursday, June 11: 7pm-8pm EST Register here

Understanding the cost of student loan borrowing: This presentation covers financial literacy topics such as the relative cost of a student loan, loan repayment tools, and tips on managing student loans. It identifies important things students should know about their loan portfolio, identifying their servicers and understanding the cost of their student loan.

Wednesday, June 17: 2pm-3pm EST Register here   Thursday, June 18: 8pm-9pm EST Register here

Sallie Mae’s free Paying for College Resource another great tool you can share with students and families as they navigate their college journey. As always, we are available to answer questions from you or your students directly. Please reply back to this email with any questions. Sincerely, Sallie Mae PS: Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for sharable content that you can use to help students as they build their prosperous futures!

SAT Updates

SAT registration is opening to all students tomorrow, it’s critical to provide information today about availability for fall SAT administrations, and we’re asking our member institutions to offer flexibility in admissions this year to reduce anxiety for students. Please see details below. Update on an At-Home SAT Option The College Board will pause on offering an at-home SAT this year because taking it would require three hours of uninterrupted, video-quality internet for each student, which can’t be guaranteed for all. We'll continue to develop remote proctoring capabilities to make an at-home SAT possible in the future. We will also continue to deliver the SAT online in some schools but won’t introduce the stress that could result from extended at-home testing in an already disrupted admissions season. In-Person SAT Registration For students, the uncertainty stemming from the virus has also created a heightened anxiety around their fall applications. On May 28, we opened SAT registration for students who were most in need of a testing opportunity—students in the high school classes of 2020 or 2021 who don’t yet have an SAT score. There was a flood of demand for testing opportunities that caused interruptions and delays in our registration system. We regret any stress that caused you or the students you serve. Since Friday, registration has flowed smoothly. Registration opens to all students this week. This year, many centers will have fewer seats because of social distancing guidelines and may encounter unexpected closures. The College Board continues to do all it can to expand availability of the SAT at in-person test centers. We're providing additional SAT administrations every month, beginning in August. Today, we also announced there will be an exam date in January 2021 if there's demand for it. While we can't directly control capacity and test center availability, we're working with local high schools, colleges, and other sites to increase seating capacity in areas where August and September registration is filling up. Additionally, state and large district SAT School Day partners plan to offer the SAT to students, for free, in the fall to replace canceled administrations in the spring. Current SAT Capacity In many states and districts, there are still ample seats available for students who haven’t yet registered. However, there’s higher demand for the August administration, and importantly, in certain areas, August and September already are full or nearing capacity. • Overall, in August, less than 25% of capacity is filled; in September, less than 10% of capacity is filled; in October, about 5% of capacity is filled. • Certain states have lower capacity, for August in particular, including Massachusetts (at 75% capacity), Rhode Island (at 60% capacity), Washington state (at 59% capacity), and New Jersey (at 58% capacity). It's the unfortunate reality that students in the densely populated areas hardest hit by covid-19 will face the greatest challenge in finding open seats because of scarce test centers. Therefore, the College Board is asking member colleges to provide flexibility to students in three ways: • Accept scores as late as possible in their process, especially extending the score deadlines for early action and early decision to take some pressure off and give students more time to test and send their scores. • Equally consider students for admission who are unable to take the exam due to covid-19 as those who submitted scores. (The College Board will keep colleges up to date on testing availability.) • Recognize that students who do submit scores may not have been able to take the test more than once (e.g., taking into account that students who tested as high school juniors but who couldn’t test as seniors would've likely achieved score gains). We know that this year colleges understand the importance of paying especially close attention to the context in which all students live and learn as they make admissions decisions. Thank you more than ever for your partnership in these challenging times. Sincerely, College Board