UNCW opens to local youth

Local middle school students will get a taste of college life during UNCW’s annual Junior Seahawk Academy this week from June 18-22.

The academy is designed to help all children, especially underserved kids, develop and maintain an interest in learning math, science and technology while participating in fun, hands-on activities.

The UNCW Watson School of Education, the South East Area Health Education Center and Time Warner Cable have joined together to sponsor the academy in an effort to help students succeed in school. The program accepted about 60 students between the ages of 11 and 14; participants will explore careers in science, technology, engineering, math, health and education as well as reading skills.

The core curriculum for the program is aligned with the state’s Common Core Standards and Essential Standards for education, with this year’s theme as “Healthy Habits, Happy Humans." On the last day of the program, Friday, the students will showcase their accomplishments from earlier in the week and an award will be presented to the student who demonstrated the most promise in leadership and learning. According to the academy's program coordinator, Angela Reid-Griffin, about 80 percent of the program participants go on to graduate from high school and attend a college or university.