UCLA Game Lab High School Summer Institute
The UCLA Game Lab Summer Institute introduces high school students to game-making as an artistic practice, teaching them techniques and tools to develop analog and digital games that reflect their own creative vision. No previous game-making skills are required! Students with an interest in games and visual arts will find the curriculum especially rewarding–and those who complete the two-week program receive 4 units of college credit!
This summer we’re featuring two sessions of the program: an online, virtual classroom version, as well as an in-person, residential program at UCLA. The two sessions offer nearly identical instruction and game design projects—but now you can choose between an online or an on-campus experience! The dates for Summer 2022:
- Session A (online, virtual classroom): July 11, 2022 – July 22, 2022
- Session B (in-person, residential): July 24, 2022 – August 6, 2022
The Summer Institute program is committed to diversity, and we welcome students of all cultural, racial, gender, linguistic, geographic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and physical abilities.
Enrollment is open starting February 15—and tends to fill up pretty quickly! To register and enroll directly, please visit UCLA Summer Sessions on the web.
Attention Juniors: Questbridge College Prep Program
The 2022 College Prep Scholars Program application is now open! The deadline is Thursday, March 24. Start your application today >>
The Questbridge College Prep Program is looking for high school juniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. They take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and we do not have absolute criteria or cut-offs for GPA, standardized test scores, income, or other factors.
Eligibility
Any high school junior, regardless of citizenship, currently attending high school in the U.S. is eligible for the College Prep Scholars Program. Additionally, U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents living abroad are eligible for the program. International students living outside the U.S. are not eligible.
Applicants must be high school juniors who are planning to apply to college during the fall of their senior year.
Academic Achievement
We seek students who have demonstrated high academic achievement. The following is based on profiles of past College Prep Scholars, and are not strict cut-offs:
| ACADEMIC CRITERIA | |
|---|---|
| Grades and rigor of high school curriculum | Primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available (usually including Honors, AP, and/or IB level courses). |
| Class rank | Top 5-10% of graduating class. |
| Standardized test scores (if taken) | Please note: Test scores are not required to apply, and around half of QuestBridge applicants in the past year have not had test scores. The numbers below are general criteria based on successful applicants who reported test scores.
77% of last year’s College Prep Scholars scored above 1270 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT (if reported). We also recommend submitting any PreACT, PSAT, ACT Aspire, or AP Exams, if available. |
| Additional criteria | Evidence of strong writing ability, intellectual spark, and determination. |
Financial Qualifications
College Prep Scholars typically come from households earning less than $65,000 annually for a typical family of four and have minimal assets. This is not a strict cut-off and we encourage students who feel they have faced significant financial hardship to review these financial criteria carefully to see if they may qualify.
| FINANCIAL CRITERIA | |
|---|---|
| Household income | All sources of household income are taken into account, including, but not limited to:
|
| Assets | All assets held by the family are taken into consideration, including:
|
| Non-custodial parent income and assets | Students with divorced or separated parents must report the income and assets of their non-custodial parent, as this information is taken into consideration by our college partners when determining financial need. The only exception is when the student has not had contact with the non-custodial parent for an extended period of time. |
| Household circumstances | Individual household circumstances are taken into consideration, including:
|
Personal Circumstances
We also take the following factors into account when reviewing applications:
| PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES | |
|---|---|
| Parents’ level of education | Many past College Prep Scholars are among the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college in the U.S. |
| Activities, including home or family responsibilities | Participation in extracurricular, community, or other activities.
Activities may include home or family responsibilities, such as part-time jobs to help pay bills, or caring for siblings if parents are absent or at work. |
| Honors, awards, and achievements | Accomplishments and leadership roles in extracurricular or other activities. |
| Personal traits | Strength in character and motivation to succeed. |
STEM Webinar opportunity!
Are you interested in pursuing a career in the STEM industry? California State University, Dominguez Hills, will be hosting a webinar designed for physics and other STEM students.
Workshop Leaders:
Dr. Terrence Lomheim
- Distinguished Engineer in the Engineering and Technology Group, Sensor Systems Subdivision of The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA
Mr. Kenneth Brown
- Operations Manager for Northrop Grumman Missions Systems Engineering & Sciences (E&S) Maritim Land Sensors and Systems/Field Engineering, Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA
This session will provide insight on:
- What working in local industry is like
- Best practices for being successful in gaining employment with student internships and/or after you obtain your degree
- Time to answer questions and provide support on how to improve your resume and applications
When: Friday February 25, 2022
Time: 10:00AM-11:30AM
Attached is the flyer with the zoom link and more information!
Weekly Update
Good morning DV Connect HS students and families-
What a great first week we had on our new campus! We are all so grateful to be in the learning space with you all! Please make sure to follow the drop off and pick up signs/directions and please pay attention to our safety officers Larri and Renato- they are here to keep everything running smooth and to keep everyone safe! Please note the drop off and pick up is one way.
Don’t forget to check the DAILY TRACKER– a one stop shop for all asynchronous and synchrounous work/assignments, due dates, projects, office hours times and links, etc. Its the best way to keep up to date and on track in your classes- for students and parents/guardians. And don’t hesitiate to reach out to your teacher should you have any questions.
New this semester: if you miss a/an asynchronous assignment/s and fail to turn it in upon the due date- expect to recieve an email for a mandatory zoom session with Kene Washington- one of the Connect counselors who will be hosting weekly (mandatory) zoom sessions to asssit any student to get back on track with the class/es and assignmet/s. We want to help ensure your success! Should you have any questions about this, please reach out to Kene at kwashington@davincischools.org
Below is this week’s schedule: normal cohort days this week:
Upcoming Dates:
- Monday February 21st is President’s Day and there is no school on this day
- Wednesday March 2nd Learning Log #4 is due no later than 11:59pm! Please make sure you are staying on top of this imporant document!
Have a good week!
National School Counseling Week
National School Counseling Week 2022 (#NSCW22) is Feb. 7-11, 2022, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA (American School Counseling Association), highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. The 2022 theme is School Counseling: Better Together.
On behalf of the entire Connect HS community, leadership, students, parents, and support staff we all owe you a tremendous amount of gratitude, recognition and praise because of the skills, talent and overall impact that you have on our campus.
There is so much appreciation, there will never be enough words to say thank you and to reiterate the fact that we are indeed “Better Together”!!!
Connect HS Team
Parchment College Scholarship
Hello Connect HS Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors!
Parchment is offering up to $6,000 in rewards to high school students in grades 9, 10, and 11. Parchment is helping students plan for their future while also offering a chance to win money to go towards their college tuition.
Students can apply to this scholarship in 3 easy steps using this website: Parchment Scholarship