Drexel University Computing Academy Completes Its Third Year Connecting Teens and Technology

After weeks of living on campus at Drexel University, completing courses in game design, databases, systems, computer programming, robotics, information technology, and beyond, 36 students will graduate from Drexel University Computing Academy’s 2011 summer program on Saturday, July 30.

“This year’s DUCA class was our biggest ever,” said Executive Director Brenda Sheridan. “They had fun, overcame challenges, and lived the DUCA experience by gaining an academic and social college experience. We hope to see them here as Drexel students in coming years.”

This year marks DUCA’s third year in operation. During the five-week, residential program, students share an authentic college experience, taking classes from Drexel faculty and participating in interactive projects and labs while living in a dorm, eating at University dining facilities, investigating Philadelphia, and making new friends.

The program’s curriculum is designed to enhance students’ critical thinking, sharpen their leadership skills, and teach them to collaborate more effectively. Throughout their five weeks at Drexel, students worked in groups to complete a comprehensive team project. These projects are showcased at the program’s closing ceremonies. This year, groups developed video games, completed a high-performance simulation project, created iPhone applications, and developed a website. Each group will present its projects to families and friends during the closing ceremonies.

DUCA is co-sponsored by The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology and Drexel University’s Department of Computer Science. The program receives additional academic support from other colleges within Drexel University, including the College of Engineering, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, and Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. The tuition-based program is an outgrowth of the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Information, Society, and Technology (PGSIST), which was hosted at Drexel from 1998 through 2008, and was eliminated in 2009 due to state budget cuts. DUCA was developed as an alternative program to meet the demand for a quality summer educational experience for college-bound high school sophomores and juniors.

News media contact: Susan McConnell, writer/editor, The iSchool at Drexel, 215-895-6271, seh57@drexel.edu