GlaxoSmithKline's Science in the Summer Enrichment Program
2013 Overview

**Please read the following information carefully even if your child has participated in Science in the Summer in the past. We have made updates and changes to this information since 2012.**

What is Science in the Summer?

GlaxoSmithKline's Science in the Summer (SIS) is an enrichment program for children, administered by Morehead Planetarium and Science Center. SIS provides up to a week of science education activities at a community site, usually a public library. SIS is currently available at more than 33 different sites in nine counties, providing hands-on activities as well as demonstrations of science experiments.

• Eligibility
• Registration Guidelines
• 2013 Theme
• Employment
• History
• Schedule & Registration Link
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this program does not open until March 2013.

Is my child eligible to participate in SIS?

• Level I classes are for children entering grades 2 and 3 only.
• Level II classes are for children entering grades 4 and 5 only.
• Level III classes are for children entering grades 6, 7 and 8 only.

SIS offers a five-day experience for Level I (mornings only) and Level II (afternoons only).
For Level III, SIS offers a three-day experience that is scheduled either in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on the program location.

Participation is free, but spaces are limited. Parents must register their children through SIS's online registration system and then complete a packet of paperwork. Registrations will be accepted in the order they are received until all spaces are filled. Each session will also have 15 spaces available on a waiting list.
Once the online registration form has been submitted, the parent must complete a packet of paperwork (which includes a release form) before his or her child will be permitted to participate in the program. This paperwork must be submitted to the SIS office by the specified due date (posted on the cover page of the paperwork packet) in order to maintain the child's placement in the program.

What do I need to know about SIS registration?

Please be sure you have reviewed all overview information on this page before you register! For answers to frequently asked questions, please download our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guide.

There are three essential steps that are required to complete a Science in the Summer registration:

1. A parent or guardian must fill out the online registration form.
2. The parent or guardian must complete the SIS paperwork packet.
3. The fully-completed paperwork packet must arrive at the SIS office by the appropriate deadline.

When registration opens for the session you want, you must register your child by completing an online registration form (hosted by ABC Signup, the online registration system). The registration link is on the schedule page.

Parents or guardians must have a valid email address in order to register. If you do not have computer access at home, you may use the public computers at your community library. If you do not have an email address, you can request a free email account through programs such as Google Mail, Yahoo Mail or Hotmail and access your email through any computer with an internet connection.

To help ensure that your registration is completed successfully, please prepare carefully for the registration process.

• Make sure that all contact information entered into the online registration form is accurate and valid. Please be sure that you have typed your email address accurately, because the required paperwork packet will be sent to that email address. It is recommended that you also make sure that you are registering your child for the appropriate level.
• After completing your child's online registration form, check your email for a message containing important information about finalizing the registration process (this may 30 minutes or more if there is high traffic on the website). If you do not see this message, check your spam filter to be sure the message wasn't filtered out of your inbox.
• If you are attempting to register more than one child at a time, you may want to ask a relative or friend to help by registering your additional child or children at the same time, using another computer. If you do this, make sure that your helper has all the information he or she will need to register your child accurately. All contact information should pertain to the parent or guardian of the child that is being registered and NOT the individual who is completing the registration form, if that individual is someone other than the parent or guardian.
• Do not register any child more than one time. Duplicate registrations may result in cancellations. If you decide that you would prefer to have your child attend a session at a different location or during a different week than the one for which you initially registered, you must cancel the existing registration before completing a new one for your desired week and location. Each child is permitted to participate in the program only once per summer, regardless of location. A link is provided at the bottom of the registration email from ABC Signup that will allow you to cancel your child’s registration.

You will see additional registration information, including the "Terms and conditions" listed below, when you access ABC Signup, the online registration system.

Terms and conditions

When registering, check to make sure that you are entering accurate information for you and your child. Incorrect information could result in a cancellation of your child's registration.

If you have successfully completed registration, you will receive a follow-up e-mail with important program documents attached. These documents must be carefully and completely filled out and returned according to the instructions in order for your child's registration to be considered complete. SIS reserves the right to cancel your child's registration if these documents are not received by the specified date or if they are incomplete. These documents must be signed by the child’s parent or guardian and can be submitted three ways:

• By faxing the paperwork packet to be 919-843-6588.
• By emailing the paperwork packet as a scanned attachment to scienceinthesummer@unc.edu
• Or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service (preferably with delivery confirmation).

Registration for each session opens at 9:00 a.m. on the corresponding registration date (see below) and closes when all class seats are filled. The last day to submit an online registration form for an available space is April 30, 2013.

• Sessions held June 17-21 and June 24-28 will register beginning March 4.
• Sessions held July 8-12 and July 15-19 will register beginning March 11.
• Sessions held July 22-26 and July 29-Aug. 2 will register beginning March 18.
• Sessions held Aug. 5-9 and Aug. 12-15 will register beginning March 25.

If you realize after you have submitted the registration form that there is a mistake on it, please wait until you receive the follow-up email in order to correct it. This email provides a link for you to make changes to your original registration form.

Yes, if all available spaces for a session have been filled, any additional registrations submitted for that session (up to 15) will be automatically added to the waiting list. You will receive an email from the registration system (ABC Signup) indicating your child’s position on the waiting list. Parents of children on the waiting list are still asked to complete the required paperwork so that any open spaces can be filled more efficiently. The waitlist paperwork also has a deadline, listed on the first page of the paperwork packet. If the paperwork is not received by the deadline, it will be assumed that you are no longer interested in keeping your child on that waiting list, and his or her wait list registration will be cancelled.

Parents are permitted to sign a child up for multiple waitlists, however, once a child is taken off of a waitlist and confirmed for any session, all other wait list registrations for that child will be cancelled in order to prevent duplicate confirmed registrations. Similarly, a child cannot be both confirmed for one session and waitlisted for another.

If your child is registered for multiple waiting lists, you still only need to submit one complete packet of paperwork. However, please indicate on the cover page all of the sessions for which your child is wait-listed.

If you have an email account with a highly sensitive spam filter, please be sure to check for email messages from ABC Signup or from "@email.unc.edu" or @unc.edu" addresses. Email is the primary method of communication for Science in the Summer, so please check your email regularly to be sure you receive all information from SIS staff and do not miss any deadlines.

Email is the method the SIS Staff will use to notify you if your child’s paperwork has been processed or if it is incomplete and must be revised.

An email will be sent to parents through the registration system (ABC Signup) to indicate that a child’s paperwork has been received, checked for completion, and processed by the Science in the Summer staff. However, this is the only confirmation that we are able to provide. If parents would like receive any additional confirmation of receipt, they must take the appropriate steps when submitting their child’s paperwork packet. Paperwork that is emailed can be sent with a read receipt, faxed paperwork can be checked for successful transmission, and mailed paperwork can be sent with delivery confirmation through the U.S. Postal Service.

If all available spaces for a session have been filled, any additional registrations for that session (up to 15) will be added to the waiting list. You will still receive an email from ABC Signup, the registration service, indicating your position on the waiting list.

In order to expedite the process of moving down the waitlist (in the event of cancellations), individuals on the waiting list will also be asked to submit the paperwork packet for SIS. This is not a guarantee that your child will be able to participate in the program, but it will allow us to move down the waiting list more efficiently. You will receive an automated email notifying you if your child is moved from the waiting list onto the class roster. If you have already submitted the waitlist paperwork packet when you receive this email, there is no need to resubmit the paperwork packet.

Parents are permitted to sign a child up for multiple waitlists, however, once a child is confirmed for a particular session, all other wait list registrations in the system for that child will be cancelled in order to prevent duplicate confirmed registrations. Similarly, a child cannot be both confirmed for one session and waitlisted for another.

What's the educational theme for SIS in 2013?

Science in the Summer provides hands-on activities as well as demonstrations of science experiments, within a theme that focuses on a single science subject. The 2013 theme for SIS is "Genetics." As part of this theme, students will learn about genetics through investigations of cell structure, chromosomes, DNA, and animal adaptations. SIS classes are led by a certified teacher and assisted by a high school student. The classes are designed to spark children's interest in science knowledge and show how science concepts relate to everyday life.

Level I and Level II classes will explore cell structure, learn where DNA is found within the cell, understand what genetic traits are and how they are inherited from one’s parents, and explore adaptations that help plants and animals to survive in their given habitat. Children will understand that a person’s genetic code determines what traits that individual will display, and that each person’s genome is unique. Students will also perform a strawberry DNA extraction activity and make models of the structure of DNA. In addition, they will discuss animal adaptations and complete activities that mimic the adaptive strategies animals that make them suited to their particular habitat.

Level III classes will explore similar content, with an additional focus on the application of knowledge about DNA and genetics. Through a series of hands-on activities and games, students will investigate the nature of DNA molecules as the genetic “code.” Students will also explore the genetic origin of biological traits and functions such as blood types and blood clotting. On the final day, the students will board a mobile science lab where they will perform two lab procedures: testing (simulated) blood samples for blood type, and extracting DNA from plant cells.

Are there employment opportunities with SIS?

GlaxoSmithKline's Science in the Summer program employs certified teachers to lead classes at each site. Priority is given to any teacher who has completed DESTINY training previously and/or teaches in the county where the SIS site is located.

Information for teachers can be downloaded from this website beginning in January (click here). Applicants must submit a completed Science in the Summer Availability Form with your other required documents. Click here to download, complete, save, and upload your SIS Availability Form. For an older Excel version, click here.

Individuals employed for these positions must complete a comprehensive training program led by Morehead staff. Additional pertinent information regarding REQUIRED interviews and training sessions for educators are included here (pdf). Applicants should read this information carefully before completing and submitting their application through the online system.

In addition, the program provides short-term employment opportunities for outstanding high school students in each community to help present the classes. Priority is given to students who have participated in DESTINY activities and/or attend schools in the county where the SIS site is located.

Information for high school students can be downloaded from this website beginning in January (click here). Applicants must submit a completed Science in the Summer Availability Form with your other required documents. Click here to download, complete, save, and upload your SIS Availability Form. For an older Excel version, click here.

Individuals employed for these positions must complete a comprehensive training program led by Morehead staff. Additional pertinent information regarding REQUIRED interviews and training sessions for high school students are included here (pdf). Applicants should read this information carefully before completing and submitting their application through the online system.

What's the history behind SIS?

GlaxoSmithKline developed the original Science in the Summer program in 1986, serving children in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The goal of this program was to prevent the "summer slide," which can happen when children do not participate in any academic activities during the summer. When the "summer slide" occurs, children do not make any academic progress — and they may even lose some of the progress they made during the previous school year. Science in the Summer prevents the "summer slide" by engaging children in science education.

In 2008, GSK expanded the program into North Carolina and chose Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to administer the program. During its first year in North Carolina, Science in the Summer offered free classes at 10 sites. It doubled in size for its second year.

In 2010, GSK awarded a $700,000 grant to Morehead to expand the program in North Carolina over the next two years. This allowed the program to expand yet again in 2010, offering the program at 30 sites in nine different counties. In 2011, the program expanded to offer more than 115 sessions.

GSK renewed the grant in 2012 for two more years. Science in the Summer expanded yet again to offer more than 140 sessions in summer 2012.