The College of St. Rose (CSR) in Albany is offering a unique opportunity to students with intellectual disabilities this summer!

Individuals with developmental disabilities need an advanced educational experience in the area of reading and writing.  This summer experience is designed to combine instruction in science with the skills of reading and writing.

Under the supervision of Dr. Terri Ward, individuals with developmental disabilities in grades 2-10 will be instructed by teacher candidates in the Special Education Graduate Program at the College of St. Rose.  Each week, participants will engage in the scientific method by conducting hands-on activities, reading and speaking vocabulary associated with the topic, and keeping a science journal with digital pictures. 

The Summer Science and Literacy Camp is currently accepting individuals with developmental disabilities between grades 2 and 10.  The individuals will be assessed in May and June to determine reading and writing levels for appropriate instruction in the summer seminars.  It is the intent of the summer experience to divide students into age clusters.  The instructors will use Universal Design for Learning principles to develop all age-appropriate lessons.

Once the applications are received (deadline is May 15th), the parent and the school will be contacted for information.  Parents will be contacted by May 31st, confirming acceptance into the camp.  Remember, preference is given to individuals who commit to all sessions.  Within a few days of the initial call, the graduate students will begin the assessment process by speaking with the parents, the child's current teacher, and conducting reading and writing assessments.  Those results will be shared only with the parent and Dr. Ward for the purposes of creating lessons that motivate and inspire.

Participants will be exposed to a variety of topics that are both timely and related to NYS Science Standards across the grade levels.  Although this is NOT summer school, we believe there will be an academic benefit to both individuals with developmental disabilities and individuals who are pursuing a Masters in Special Education.

Science and Literacy Camp Dates and Topics:

• June 23rd, 6:00 to 7:00 pm:  Orientation (Families and Children attend)
• June 30th and July 7th, 2:00 to 5:30 pm:  Rocket Science:  The space race and rocket building
• July 14th and July 21st, 2:00 to 5:30 pm:  Life Science:  People, pollution, and global warming
• July 28th and August 4th, 2:00 to 5:30 pm:  What's the "Matter"?  Fun with liquids, solids and gas

The first week of each topic is designed to introduce the participants to the vocabulary and to begin engaging in the scientific method.  Participants might form a hypothesis, record observations, engage in hypothesis testing, and create electronic presentations from digital photos taken during the experiments.

If you are interested in having your child participate, please contact Dr. Terri Ward at .  For a copy of the application, contact Diane Lang at the DSAHRC by emailing dlang@dsahrc or calling (518) 438-1113.