June 23, 2005

‘CSI’ at Sacramento State?

Bullets, drugs and fingerprints. Sounds like an episode of the popular television show “CSI.” But this summer, Sacramento State and the Academic Talent Search program are offering middle school students the opportunity to explore these elements along with the latest forensic science methods under crime lab circumstances.

But the Forensic Science class won’t be the only drama found on campus this summer. Accelerated courses from animation to zoology are among the 110 classes that are being offered by the ATS program. Aspiring engineers will be designing and building bridges, screenplay scholars will be studying films such as Shakespeare in Love and Star Wars and emerging computer graphics students will be designing video games and making movies.

For the last 24 years, the ATS program has offered advanced classes every summer to the region’s elementary and middle school students. This summer will be no different as roughly 2,000 sixth- through ninth- graders from the Sacramento region will be on campus.

Professors from Sacramento State as well as instructors from local community colleges, high schools and trade professionals make up the faculty of ATS. It introduced students to the college format schedule, with classes meeting two and three times a week.

To accommodate busy student schedules from all school calendars, the ATS program offers courses in one-, three- and five- week durations running from mid-June to early August. The first of five ATS sessions began June 20 and the fifth and final session ends August 5.

The ATS program aims to offer diverse courses in subjects that are not available within regular schools’ programs of study. In addition to special interest courses, participants can also take advanced classes in math, English and art.

Students who excel in the summer program are eligible to receive high school credits for the courses they take.

For questions regarding the program, contact the Academic Talent Search office at (916) 278-7032. For media assistance, contact Sacramento State public affairs at (916) 278-6156.

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