Summer school is pretty cool, when it’s Kids in College at Ohio University Lancaster Campus.

“We learn new things in a very fun way. Of course I would take this great program again,” said KIC participant Natalie Heineman. She enjoyed the psychology classes because “we studied our how minds work and how they see different things.” Her sister Grace will be back to take advantage of “an awesome way to learn about a subject. The pottery (ceramics) class was really fun!”

The sisters, and about 200 other youngsters, will take classes during the three-week summer enrichment program.

Kids in College, now in its 29 th year, is especially designed for children completing grades three through eight, and will be held in week-long sessions June 16-20 and 23-27, and July 7-11. According to Kids in College coordinator Maryann Lape, students may enroll for one, two, or all three weeks, for a morning class or an afternoon class, or both. The morning session begins at 9:30 and concludes at 11:30. Afternoon classes are scheduled 12:30-2:30 p.m. Students taking both and morning and afternoon sessions may bring sack lunches and eat in the student lounge. The Zone, providing food service coordinated by Fairfield County MRDD, will offer hot, kid-friendly lunch items for sale.

Lots of hands-on activities in science labs and the ceramics and painting studios, the dance studio, outdoors, and during field trips broaden the students’ experiences and contribute to the fun factor. Class sizes are small, with emphasis on individual instruction.

Lape says that offering new courses each summer is her greatest challenge, particularly since many students return year after year. “We want to offer a variety of topics, and add new courses each year. Fortunately, our instructors come up with new ideas, and parents and students have great ideas, too.”

Courses offered include Applied Chemistry; Thinking Strategically: Introduction to Game Theory; Biology: Plants, People and Animals; the Forensic Sciences I and II; ; Exploring Healthcare and First Aid; Mathematics; Chess – Beginner and Intermediate;

Ohio in the Civil War; History of World War II; “O” is for Ohio!; U.S. Presidents Facts and Fun; Sign Language Basics; Sign Language II and III; Conversational French; Conversational Spanish;

Digital Photography Basics; Interior Decorating; Beginning Printmaking; Ceramics; Advanced Ceramics; Polymer Clay Sculpture and Jewelry Making; Advanced Polymer Clay Sculpture and Mask Making; Scrapbooking for Kids.

Creating Your Webpages and Other Multimedia Projects; Computer-Aided Drawing; Basketball; Fundamentals of Golf; and Taekwondo.

Each course costs $85, plus any applicable lab fees. For a detailed schedule or for more information, contact Maryann Lape at 654.6711 or 1.888.446.4468, ext. 249, or lape@ohiou.edu.

Photo: Kids in College students marched and participated in other activities with Civil War re-enactors as part of the class titled “ Ohio in the Civil War.”