High school juniors and seniors go behind the scenes, meet D.C. decision makers, get in-the-field experience and an insider’s perspective on careers that interest them while earning college credits during Marymount’s D.C. Summer Institutes. Session 1: July 7-14, The Criminal Justice System (three college credits); Session 2: July 19-26, Frontiers in STEM (three college credits). Residential and commuter programs are available for both sessions.
Institute students get to experience campus life and meet other high schoolers who share their interests while studying with faculty who have professional experience and strong networking connections with renowned D.C. institutions. “What better way to explore a career path from the inside, or find a new passion, while you jumpstart your college career earning college credits?” adds Dr. Todd Rimkus, chair of the Biology and Physical Sciences department, who heads up the institutes. Along with hands-on studies, students learn from guest speakers and take field trips into D.C.
When study is over for the day, students relax and have fun at activities such as a major league baseball game, an evening tour of monuments, a Kennedy Center concert, museums, bowling, laser tag, and more. Residential program students live on campus in a residence hall which has mentor students-in-residence and professional staff supervisors on duty and on-call 24/7. Both residential and commuter program costs include tuition, meals, all activities and transportation for activities and field trips.
SESSION 1: July 7-14, The Criminal Justice System
Do TV shows accurately portray the justice system? Why do violent crimes occur? The Criminal Justice System is an intensive course that investigates criminal justice from the inside. Marymount’s expert faculty examines high profile issues such as the media’s influence on public perception and policy, juvenile justice, policing, the courts, the death penalty and gun control. Guest speakers – including criminologists, federal agents, law enforcement officers, and forensic scientists – bring in a real world point of view and experience. The course ventures out for field trips in the greater D.C. area to sites such as the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum, the Newseum and the Holocaust Museum.
SESSION 2: July 19-26, Frontiers in STEM
Spool your own DNA. Dissect a squid. Create with 3D printers. Explore the Portable Planetarium.
Frontiers in STEM students dive deep and get up close to a career in the high demand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math fields. Institute students have opportunities to untangle the mysteries of the genetic code; work on a problem-solving team to design and print a 3D creation; submerge themselves into a turtle field site and capture turtles to bring into the lab for observation; use nuclear magnetic resonance to characterize organic molecules; design custom features for an electric car for a special needs child; perform dissections and explore the systems and anatomy of land and water creatures, and more.
Slots are still open in both institutes for high school juniors and seniors. To apply, visit marymount.edu/summer/dc or contact the Office of Admissions at (800) 548-7638 or by email.
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Marymount D.C. Summer Institute students check out exhibits on a Criminal Justice System field trip to the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum.
