Rather than spend their days in front of a television, middle school students from the Del Valle and Montopolis areas have chosen to spend two weeks in an intensive Summer Youth Academy at Austin Community College. The academy, sponsored by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and ENLACE, (“Engaging Latino Communities for Education”) gives 12-14 year old students, who come from limited educational backgrounds, an opportunity to enrich their skills in mathematics, science and communication, and technology.

“The academy provides a win-win partnership for the students, the community and AMD,” said Karin Dicks, AMD Community Affairs. “Students learn skills to enhance their academic and personal lives, while parents discover ways to support their children’s educational aspirations.”

Students in the Academy are challenged by ACC faculty to complete projects in numerous areas ranging from creative writing and biology, to construction technology, robotics, and TV video production. During these lessons, students not only improve on their academic skills, but also on developmental skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving.

“This intensive enrichment program was developed on the premise that the Austin public education system is the pipeline for Austin ‘s future workforce,” said Dr. Tyra Duncan-Hall, ACC Provost for Campus Operations and founder of the Summer Youth Academy . “The Academy exposes students and their parents to the wide array of academic and technological programs available at ACC, as well as the types of well-paying careers available in these fields. It also increases their enthusiasm for continuing their education beyond high school. For most, getting this experience would not have been possible without the Summer Academy .”

The Summer Youth Academy concludes with a Student Project Demonstration Fair and a community dinner for students and their families. During the graduation event, parents are presented with information regarding educational and career options for their children, financial aid opportunities, college early start enrollment opportunities and the importance of making sure that students select appropriate courses in middle school and high school that prepare them for a college education.

“It is important to target middle school kids for this enrichment activity because the choices they make at this age will affect their success in middle school, high school, and beyond. We want the parents and students to see college as a viable option. After these students experience success and fun on a college campus for two weeks, they and their parents buy into this dream,” Duncan-Hall stated.

The Summer Youth Academy runs through Friday, June 25 th at ACC’s Riverside Campus.