Are you a high school student between the ages of 15 and 17 with a love of science? Then The Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) might be for you! It’s a summer school program that provides experiential learning in the areas of chemistry, physics, biology and math. You get to do real research and get academic, personal and professional credit for it.

The deadline to apply is March 31, 2012 BUT the early-bird deadline for a reduced tuition is January 14, 2012 – this Saturday! Here is the info about the program, and check out their website for more information.

What? / How?
The Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) is a science summer program for high school students between 15 and 17 years old.

The program is not for the faint of heart – it’s an intensive six weeks of chemistry, physics, biology and math. You pick your subject area and we’ll put you in the laboratory or in the field. Do you enjoy chemistry? We’ll put in a lab. Would you prefer to work outside? Then we’ll put you in the field (aka swamp or forest – depending on the research project).
Afraid you won’t know the answers to the research? Don’t worry – neither do we! This is what makes our program and your experience unique. So unique in fact, there is no other program like it in Canada. You become part of a real research team. You will not be placed in a classroom, with books and a teacher lecturing you. You are placed with another student under the guidance of a Research Assistant/Tutor (RA/T) and a professional scientist. YOU are EXPECTED to do the work – it’s called experiential learning. You learn by doing. And we expect a lot.

What does “a real research team” mean? We get our projects from professional scientists, engineers, biologists and technicians who spend months and years on a research project. To encourage you to become a scientist, you get the opportunity to help that scientist on one small portion of his/her work. When our scientists conclude their projects and publish their results, the students who worked on that project get credit. It’s called being published, and it has happened to a few our students.

When?
For 6 weeks each summer: July 1 – August 11, 2012

Where?
Deep River, Ontario. WHERE?!? Deep River is about a 2 hour drive west of Ottawa, Ontario. We are located between North Bay and Ottawa above Algonquin Park. Google us.

Why?
The DRSA wants to increase interest in careers in science and technology in Canada’s youth. We’ve figured out a way to do that – we give youth a chance to be a scientist for 6 weeks each summer. We’ve been doing it since 1987, and it works! Why does it work? We let high school students work in professional research laboratories on some pretty high tech equipment. We make science come alive, more than what students get in high school. We treat our students with respect. And we give student credit for their work: academic credit, personal credit, and professional credit.

Apply for the 2012 program NOW!

Applications will be accepted from October 1, 2011 until March 31, 2012. The tuition for 2012 is $5,100; but, apply by January 14th, 2012 and you will be eligible for our early bird discount which reduces your tuition cost to $4,700! http://www.drsa.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2012-Student-application-form11c.pdf

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the DRSA via email at info@drsa.ca, or by phone, 613-584-4541