Physics Summer Camp for Students with ASD
JUNE 9 - 15, 2024
OPEN TO AGES 14 AND UP
The Physics Summer Camp for Students with ASD is designed for individuals on the Autism spectrum. Participants will enjoy five days of hands-on activities on topics ranging from electricity to aerodynamics, with afternoon excursions to local facilities/businesses related to the day's topics and evening social activities with lodging in the MSU dorms! Each day, including interactive lectures and demonstrations, activities, and the excursion, will focus on a single topic. There will be a roughly one-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio, with some counselors being affiliated with the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic (and at least 4 will be staying in the dorms overnight!)
Click here to watch a 3-minute video summarizing the 2023 camp!
Camp is FREE to all participants, with some travel stipends available, too!
Physics Summer Camp eligibility:
- 14 years or older
- Working diagnosis and/or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Strong desire to enroll in the Physics Summer Camp
- Able to administer medications and hygienic essentials independently
- Able to understand and communicate verbally
- No recent history of concerns toward self or others
- Submit a completed application.
Applications for the 2024 camp are now CLOSED. If you have any questions about the camp, please contact Kathryn McTaggart for more information: kdh210@msstate.edu.
Tentative Agenda
(For best viewing on mobile, rotate your phone to view in landscape, or you may download the Excel file here.)
| Time | Sunday, June 9 | Monday, June 10 | Tuesday, June 11 | Wednesday, June 12 | Thursday, June 13 | Friday, June 14 | Saturday, June 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | |
| 8:00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Close out Breakfast | |
| 8:30 | Hilbun Introduction | ||||||
| 9:00 | Electricity Lecture | Geosciences Landslides Modeling Activity | Rocket aerodynamics Intro + Rocket build | Subatomic Physics Lecture | Intro to Physics Olympics | Close Out: MSU info | |
| 10:00 | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Pick up / Move out | |
| 10:30 | Voltage Generation + Hands-on Demos | Weather Media Activity | Rocket + Drone launches | Subatomic Physics Hands-on Demos | Physics Olympics | ||
| 11:30 | Lunch | ||||||
| 12:00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |||
| 13:00 | Intro to high voltage generation + walk to HV Lab | ||||||
| 13:30 | Severe Weather/Storm Chase & Weather Balloon Launch Activity | Library Maker Space Activity | Institute for Clean Energy Technology Tour | Physics Olympics | |||
| 14:00 | Drop Off | High Voltage Lab Tour | |||||
| 15:00 | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | |||
| 15:30 | Final thoughts on electricity and magnetism | Snack Break | Library Maker Space Activity | Interactive activities at Institute for Clean Energy Technology | Physics Olympics + Debrief + Results and Awards | ||
| 16:00 | Dunne Seiler Museum Tour | ||||||
| 16:30 | Dorm/Flex Time | Travel back from ICET | |||||
| 17:00 | Introduction | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | ||
| 17:30 | Ice breaker | Dinner | |||||
| 18:00 | Dinner | ||||||
| 18:30 | VR Lab Activity | Outdoor Sports/Fun Activity/Drill Field Games | Liquid Nitrogen ice cream | Movie Night | VR Lab Activity | ||
| 19:00 | Pokemon Go Tour | ||||||
| 19:30 | Telescope Activity + Drill Field games | ||||||
| 20:30 | Dorms | ||||||
| 21:00 | Dorm | Dorm | Dorm | Dorm | |||
| 21:30 | Dorm |
Links
| Dorm: | Moseley Hall (https://www.housing.msstate.edu/residence-halls/moseley-hall) |
| Primary location of Physics lectures/demos: | Hilbun Hall (https://map.msstate.edu/?id=233#!m/54598) |
| Links for excursions/activities: | |
| High Voltage Lab: | https://www.ece.msstate.edu/high-voltage-lab/ |
| VR Lab: | https://www.itidccl.msstate.edu/vr-lab |
| Institute for Clean Energy Technology: | https://www.icet.msstate.edu/ |
| MaxxSouth Digital Media Center: | https://www.library.msstate.edu/dmc/spaces/makerspace |
| Pokemon Go Tour: | https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cn6PfCwXEAAa1U1?format=jpg&name=large |
| Gym Night at the Sanderson Center: | https://www.urec.msstate.edu/ |
| Other links for evening activities: |
Contact
If you have questions or problems with the application form below, please contact us!
- Prof. Ben Crider: bpc135@msstate.edu
- Kahtryn McTaggart: kdh210@msstate.edu
- Abby Kendricks: sap279@msstate.edu
Want to apply?
Applications for 2024 are now CLOSED:
We hope you will apply to join us next year!