Figuring out design plans

Learning Labs this fall offer
fun and new knowledge

Have you ever wondered how detectives figure out clues at a crime scene? Or who scientists build a robot?

Or maybe you'd like to learn how to paint a watercolor picture even if you're not great at drawing figures. Or learn to play chess.

These are just a few of the interesting subjects to be explored during six weekend Learning Lab sessions during October and November. The sessions are open to all St. Louis-area kids who like to stretch their minds and have fun at the same time.

Attention Girls: One session is especially for 6th through 8th grade girls who might like to see what it takes to break into the male-dominated career field of engineering. This lab is open only to the first 10 girls who apply.

Forty-five different subjects will be explored at the Learning Labs. They are sponsored by the Gifted Resource Council. That's the group that sponsors each spring the Academic Challenge Cup competitions in math, language skills and creative problem solving.

The fall Learning Labs will be held on six consecutive Saturdays on Oct. 13, 20 and 27 and Nov. 3, 10 and 17. The 1 1/2 hour labs will be at Wydown Middle School, 6500 Wydown Blvd. That's near Washington University.

The Learning Lab sessions will be offered at two different times each of the Saturdays. The first ones are 9:30 to 11 a.m. while the second sessions are 11:10 a.m. to 12:40 p.m.

For a complete description of the Learning Lab program, log on to www.cybam.com/grc.

If you miss the fall sessions, the Council will offer winter learning labs in February and March, 2002.

A total of 270 kids took part in the Fall 2000 sessions and 300 more in Winter 2001.

Ordinarily, tuition for the Learning Labs is $75 for the six-week series.

However, Susan Flesch of the Council said some financial aid is available. To inquire, call the GRC at (314) 842-0666.

Chess is a popular activity

The GRC finds outstanding leaders to work with the kids.

For instance, the Crime Scene Investigation lab will be lead by Judy Joerding. She's one of six teachers who are finalists for the Missouri Teacher of the Year award. She's a math and science teacher in the Ferguson-Florissant School District.

This first-time lab will help kids solve a crime in which each of the participants is both a suspect and a detective.

The Watercolors a la Monet sessions will be taught by Marla Dell. She's not only an accomplished artist but chairman of the Lindbergh School District.

She'll help kids develop colorful watercolors without being a skilled drawer. This is another first-time offering in the Learning Lab series.

The Back to the Future with Robots lab sessions are being repeated because they have been popular in the past. This series included a final class at the St. Louis Science Center where kids design and program a robot in the Lego Mindstorm program.

There's plenty of work on computers

Of course, the Learning Lab schedule wouldn't be complete without The Harry Potter Connection. This exploration of the Harry Potter book series will have a special appeal this fall because of the upcoming release of the first Harry Potter movie.

There are two different labs on chess. Lots of kids recently have been taking up this old-time game. There's a Checkmate series for kids in Grades 1-4 and another one for kids Grades 5-8.

The teacher for this lab is Stephen Randoll, the president of the St. Louis Chess Foundation.

The Learning Lab sessions are designed to challenge kids both academically and creatively. But, the sessions are also geared to having fun while learning new skills. Sessions are small so there's plenty of interaction between the instructor and the kids.

There are chances to learning a new language such as German, Spanish or Aramaic. That's the root language for both Hebrew and Arabic languages. Or what about learning how to have fun with math.

Or you might like to learning how to build a car using the spring from a mousetrap as the engine. This session ends with competition between kids to see who has build the best mousetrap car.

There's still time to enroll. Why not check it out today, either on the web or by calling the GRC.