Hope College is offering several free one-day, hands-on, research-activity camps for children on April 14 and April 16.

The eight camps, which range in length from one-and-a-half to three hours, will give the participants a chance to try age-appropriate activities in dance, communication, kinesiology, literature, television production, and the natural and applied sciences.  Including options for students from kindergarten through high school age, they have been scheduled in conjunction with the college's commemoration of National Undergraduate Research Week, which is running Monday-Saturday, April 11-16, to help inspire the next generation.

Because space for each of the camps is limited, advance registration is required.

There will be two camps on Thursday, April 14.

° "Lovin' Summer Learnin'" on April 14 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. will feature a mix of favorite experiments from the college's popular summer science camp program as well as new activities in store for this year.  The camp is for children in grades two through five.

° "Noggin' Toggle" on April 14 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. will explore how people process information visually and feature exercises designed to help participants draw on both their right brain (creative) and left brain (analytical).  The camp is described as being for children ranging from 16 to 86 in age.

There will be six camps on Saturday, April 16.

° "Discovering TV Studios" on April 16 will highlight the equipment in a television studio and the roles of those involved in producing broadcasts, and is for children in grades six through eight.  There will be two sessions, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

° "Exploring Creative Dance" on April 16 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. will feature creative movement through various stations such as "dance and academics," "movement using props," "solving movement problems" and "creating dance compositions."  The camp is for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

° "Lil' Science Club" on April 16 from 9:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. will feature activities relating to mental focus, observation and camouflage, adapting highlights from the on-going "Lil' Science Club" that has been exploring the science of "Star Wars."  The camp is for children in grades two through five.

° "Exploring Kinesiology" on April 16 will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The camp will feature eight-10 hands-on stations that show how athletic performance, including balance, agility, flexibility, speed and power, is assessed and will test the benefits and disadvantages of popular video games.  The camp is for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

° The "Children's Literature Camp" on April 16 from 1 to 2 p.m. will explore the challenges of adolescence through literature.  The camp is for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Parents interested in registering a child for one of the sessions may contact Tod Gugino, chemistry lab director, at (616) 395-7640 or gugino@hope.edu, or Alyson Michner of the office of the dean for the natural and applied sciences at (616) 395-7190 or michner@hope.edu

Registration may also be completed online by visiting the website for the college's week-long Celebration of National Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance-- http://hope.edu/resources/naturweek/Home.htm

The week of April 11 has been declared National Undergraduate Research Week by the U.S. House of Representatives.  As a local commemoration, Hope, which is nationally recognized for its emphasis on teaching by engaging students in original collaborative research and creative performance, has scheduled multiple presentations in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural and applied sciences across the week.  The numerous activities open to the public include concerts in music and dance, an art exhibition, a play, multiple lectures and panel discussions about involvement in research, and the annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Performance featuring 200 poster presentations by 360 students involved in collaborative research.  Additional information about the week, and a complete schedule, is available online at www.hope.edu/resources/naturweek/Home.htm