“I’m a bit more interested in going to Georgia Tech now than I was before,” said Harris County High School student Isaiah Willis while participating in a chemistry lab activity during last week’s Georgia Tech Summer Institute. “The science department that we’re in now—this seems pretty fun. I’ve never taken a chemistry class, so it seems pretty interesting. I might want to do this when I grow up.”  

That sense of discovery was central to the campus experience for the 93 rising 11th graders representing 57 counties across Georgia—from Dade in the northwest corner to Chatham along the coast. The inaugural program was a weeklong statewide residential program hosted by Expanded Learning Programs in the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC), which is now part of the College of Lifetime Learning.  

Throughout the week, participants explored STEM majors and careers through hands-on activities, attended sessions on navigating college life, and built community with one another through fun and engaging social events.  The Summer Institute, modeled after the Governor’s Honors Program and Georgia Tech’s First-Generation College Institute, is designed to identify, engage and prepare talented students for a successful transition to college, while providing STEM opportunities to build career awareness.  

Sirocus Barnes, director of CEISMC’s Expanded Learning Programs and program organizer, explained that the Summer Institute was created to support the Institute’s strategic goal of expanding access by developing talent across Georgia—particularly among K-12 students in rural and under-resourced communities. The initiative aims to give students the tools to become competitive college applicants and future leaders in the STEM workforce.  

“One of the things we really want to focus on in Expanded Learning Programs is providing rich and meaningful opportunities for young people outside of the traditional school day. Summer presents a great opportunity to do just that,” he said. “We’re using this unique window in the summer, when students are more free to travel, to invite them for a week of immersive learning. This program gives them the chance to spend meaningful time on campus and experience what Georgia Tech has to offer.”  

A standout feature of the summer program was the strong support from the Office of Strategic Student Access and the six other academic colleges. Representatives from the Scheller College of Business, the College of Computing, the College of Design, the College of Engineering, the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Sciences hosted sessions over a two-day period. They gave building tours, led STEM learning activities connected to the majors offered, and demonstrated some of the research innovations students might encounter in those career paths.  

On another day, staff from Undergraduate Admission, Scholarships and Financial Aid, and Student Engagement and Well-being delivered presentations about their respective offices. Current undergraduates, who served as group leaders, offered a peer perspective on college life. The final day concluded with a family showcase where participants shared reflections about their experiences.  

Greenbrier High School student Katie Branigan summed up the sentiment the Summer Institute aimed to foster. “I’m very grateful because I’ve always wanted to go to Georgia Tech since I was little,” she said. “I’ve always known that I wanted to do engineering, and I’m just very grateful that I got this experience.”  

--Joëlle Walls, CEISMC Communications