Summer Camps at Jacobs University

,  August 8, 2015 These days, Jacobs University in Bremen is a bustling place, as high school students from around the world are spending part of their summer vacation on campus to get a taste of university life. This sounds like meaningful fun. And that’s exactly what it is – learning and experiencing go hand-in-hand.  Once again, Jacobs University offered various summer camps this year to give young people the opportunity to try out academic learning, breathe in “university air” and, thereby, expand their horizons during their summer break. With camps covering three major themes: Mathematics from June 25 to July 5, Life Sciences from July 26 to August 2, and Diversity and Intercultural Experience from July 26 to August 9, participants freshened up their school knowledge and participated in various field trips and seminars to prepare for future university studies. The goal of the summer camps is to offer guidance and decision-making support regarding questions about what and where to study. The Life Sciences Summer Camp program included an introduction to health and safety in the laboratory alongside hands-on experiments, with the goal of providing a basis in biophysics, biochemistry, microbiology and cell biology, and genetics. Among other activities, participants isolated and amplified their own DNA and analyzed it just as is done in forensic investigations. On top of this, participants visited non-university research organizations to gain insight into varying viewpoints on modern methods of marine biology. As part of the Diversity and Intercultural Experience Summer Camp, participants discussed the role of social media and communication in a globalized world. In addition, they engaged in activities on and off campus to develop and foster intercultural competencies.  Participants were afforded lots of free time to play sports and engage in other leisure activities. Despite the typical Northern Germany summer weather preventing a trip to a high ropes climbing park and the chance to picnic, professors and students remained in good spirits. Among the participants were four exceptional scholarship recipients: Angelina, Rauja, Ali and Sarah were chosen by Teach First Deutschland and Jacobs University’s Career Service Center to receive full or partial scholarships for the summer camp. The dates for the 2017 summer camps will be announced in due time on Jacobs University’s homepage.