From Colombia to Columbia: Big questions and MIT Splash
Gladys Velez-Calceido's persistent questions brought her from her childhood in Zarzal, a small farming village in northern Colombia, to Columbia University, where she is pursuing an undergraduate degree in astrophysics. She stopped to take classes in modern physics and astrophysics at several MIT ESP programs along the way.
"A lot of what I am currently learning in college I first learned through Splash, Spark, and HSSP at MIT," Gladys said.
Gladys first heard about the programs when she was living with one of her older sisters in an apartment in Nashua, New Hampshire. Gladys's parents had died when she was young, and her sister, as her legal guardian, wasn't able to drive her to MIT, so Gladys would spend up to four hours a day commuting to campus on public transportation. Though Splash was far, it was free.
"I feel that Splash was very accessible on any budget, and for what it provides—the people and friends I met, the things I learned and the whole experience—it was priceless. Had the program been more expensive, I don't think I would have been able to afford it, but Splash offers financial aid which ensures that any student who wants to participate gets the opportunity to do so," she said.
Gladys is interested in starting a Splash program at Columbia University and Barnard College and has started to work with Chris Kennedy of Learning Unlimited to plan a program for younger students.
"I want to open this campus up to students who may not otherwise get the experience I did at MIT Splash."
Former MIT Splash and HSSP teachers to offer classes in Silver Spring, MD
Students ready for coursework beyond high school level can register for classes on math, physics and law at the Institute for Academic Challenge. Registration closes February 10.
What exactly is a Splash, anyway?
Southwestern University tells us in under one minute:
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Upcoming Programs
January 24-February 28 (Tuesdays) - Cascade at University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Free.
February 18 - Splash at Duke University, Durham, NC. $20, fee waivers available.
February 18 - Splash at Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX.
February 18-April 14 (Saturdays) - HSSP at MIT, Cambridge, MA. $40, fee waivers available.
March 3 - Splash at Babson College, Wellesley, MA.
March 3 - STING (Splash for middle school students) at Granite Hills High School, El Cajon, CA. $10.
March 10 - Spark at MIT, Cambridge, MA. $30, fee waivers available.
March 10 - Splash at UMBC, Baltimore, MD. $10, fee waivers available.
March 24 - Splash at Yale University, New Haven, CT.
April 21-22 - Splash at Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. $40, fee waivers available.
April 28 - cSplash at New York University, New York, NY. (Date tentative.)
“We just learned how many ways you can arrange the letters in the alphabet while making sure that no vowels are touching. How does the number change if we consider 'Y' as a vowel?”
-- Asked in "Counting Principles" at MIT HSSP Summer 2011
See an answer to this question and make your gift to Learning Unlimited. Your gift will help Learning Unlimited expand Splash and Splash-like programs to colleges and universities around the nation, allowing students to answer those burning questions they didn't know they had.
