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What effect does SSP have on its teenage participants? No one knows better than their parents.
"My son participated in the SSP program in Boulder, Colorado. As he told us, his experience there was delightful. As expected, the workload was massive but also manageable due to increased collaboration with other students. That was his favorite part about SSP. Working with so many other students with similar passions to him made SSP an enjoyable challenge. I'm sure that my son has benefited from this camp enormously. In addition to new knowledge about astronomy, physics, math, and programming, I can also feel that SSP enhanced his team spirit, which will be valuable in the future. Finally, my son is really grateful for being able to attend the camp and interact with such amazing people. I think that he's really looking forward to becoming a TA one day."
"My daughter, Lindsey, attended the SSP Biochemistry program at Indiana University. To be frank, I didn't expect her to come back from the program much differently than how she had left. However, I was quickly proven to be wrong. I could tell that Lindsey became more confident, curious, and open to asking questions. There was this one instance where Lindsey began talking to me about a topic she was passionate about, Alzheimer's disease, and she started connecting all of these labs and activities that she did at SSP to her own interest back at home. It was clear that she really loved every second that she spent at SSP, and I felt so excited to see a much deeper side of Lindsey compared to what I had seen before. SSP was a program that surely encouraged not just Lindsey, but also all of her peers, to push their own limits and continuously strive higher. Thank you again."
"Our son, Louis loved it at SSP, New Mexico Tech. He loved the curriculum, professors/staff, and his classmates. He said he was so sad on the last day and even cried. How sweet! According to him, SSP was far better than any other summer programs he attended in all aspects. He is still cherishing the friendship he built with his peers at the camp and staying in touch with them. Thank you so much for this wonderful experience! We will definitely recommend SSP to other people and we wish you all the best."
"SSP has proven to be an intellectually enriching experience for Vanessa. This was her first time conducting research in a wet lab and was amazed at how extensive the research really was. She also found the content learned at SSP to be much more challenging than anything she had experienced beforehand. Vanessa spoke so highly of the professors, saying how approachable and knowledgeable they were. One thing which made SSP quite different from previous summer programs Vanessa has attended was its wholly immersive nature. She formed strong connections with many of her peers, which we believe will last for the distant future. Something which clearly stood out to Vanessa was how brilliant and vastly different each individual was. She told us how each student had their own diverse hobbies and interesting past experiences. This made for a vibrant and exciting environment which Vanessa really loved. We are very grateful for SSP and are sure that its impact on Vanessa will be long-lasting. Thank you again."
"My daughter participated in the Genomics track (Purdue Campus) at SSP 2022. Ameena thoroughly enjoyed the experience & was very grateful to have been selected for this program. She considered SSP to be an invaluable & hands-on opportunity to immerse herself in genomics research, an area that has long fascinated her. She loved the opportunity to research genomics in-depth & appreciated the committed & enthusiastic professors who shared their knowledge with the students. Ameena wished she had more time to go over certain concepts & absorb all that she learned. It was at times exhausting in terms of workload and the fast pace. She is a person who likes to take her time to think things through, and time is definitely a luxury in a fast-paced program! I know she has high expectations for the work she produces and maintains a high standard for herself and those that work with her. This did cause a certain amount of tension within the group toward the end of the program. The others were committed but not quite as intense as Ameena can be. I know this frustrated her, but at the same time, it allowed her to realize that her priorities are not shared by all and that she would have to work with these limitations and find a way to complete the project in a way that would suit all involved. From a social point of view, she enjoyed meeting peers who shared her passion for science and nerdy jokes! However, her first priority during SSP was the research work itself, and this is what she truly loved the most. I’m told work was her first priority, followed by sufficient sleep and socializing when time & her energy levels permitted it. My husband & I are happy that she had the opportunity to attend SSP. It’s a proper rigorous program run by an enthusiastic & committed group of educators who enjoy working with young people and encourage them to pursue their love of science. A huge thank you to all those involved in the development, administration and running of this program, as it’s a huge undertaking & responsibility. Nonetheless, despite challenges such as covid, I’m glad SSP sought to provide an in-person experience rather than online, as yet another summer is successfully completed. I hope you all manage to get some rest before the new academic year begins! Wishing the SSP team the very best in their future endeavors."
"This was an excellent experience for my son because he experienced what his life will be like when he goes to college. He grew personally and academically. By meeting colleagues from other states and other countries, he exchanged experiences with them and learned about their cultures. SSP exceeded my expectations because my son learned to share in a very competitive environment, made good friends, and lived an experience that he will never forget. I also want to thank all the SSP staff for their excellent work on this program."
"Ashna had a very enriching experience and made genuine friends. She always told everyone excitedly about the mentors and speakers she liked to learn from. Seeing the difference in how she spoke of SSP versus more traditional learning experiences made it clear how much of an impact this summer had on the way she views science and research."
"It was again another privilege, one in 2015 and then 2022, to attend SSP-CUB campus. This was fulfilling, challenging, and fun, packed with academic, research, and collaborative experience… so grateful. My teen came home missing SSP life, friends, TAs, and classes, looking to reconnect in the near future. The cohesiveness of these teens working together to complete their problem sets, night observation, and research paper as they enjoy their friendships and learn from one another is like no other program. Thank you, SSP."
"We may not always say it, but we mean it whenever we say it. We'd like to thank you and the amazing faculty, TA, and all the other staff associated with SSP who put their sincere effort into making SSP an experience of a lifetime. We cannot forget the immense support of SSP rendered to Hrishabh right after being selected for SSP 2022, whether it be covering financial support, requesting a letter for an expedited visa to US Embassy, or facilitating a safe and healthy stay at Colorado Campus. Hrishabh's experience at SSP 2022 has been stellar, both academically and socially. After completing SSP when Hrishabh landed in India, I sensed that his level of confidence increased more than before. He talks about how he was able to write the Final Orbital Determination code even though he had limited experience in programming. This experience of learning to code at SSP has made a crucial impact on his future choice of career."
"My son attended SSP Biochemistry at Indiana University Bloomington in 2022. I deeply appreciate that you gave Taewoo the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful program. SSP was an amazing experience for Taewoo. He loved the experience, and he really benefitted from the opportunity to do research. SSP was his first opportunity to learn the basics of research like wet-lab techniques and computational modeling. It has definitely expanded his knowledge and understanding of biochemistry and science in general. He always speaks highly of the people he met at SSP, and it’s wonderful that he is now part of a lifelong community of learners and thinkers. He is very proud to be a part of the SSP community and wants to contribute to it in any way he can."
"We truly believed that these six weeks in SSP are Sharon's life-change experiences. It opened her eyes, not only academically but also from the people surrounding her. We are so glad to see Sharon bloom and flourish after the camp with the growth of knowledge, love, joys, and friendships that will carry over with her for life. Thank you all for your love and diligence to the kids. This summer is definitely an unforgettable experience for all the kids."
"Nosakhare benefited practically, socially and most of all, gained huge knowledge that he will continue to build on daily as long as SSP continues to nurture him. His medical terminology increased. I could no longer understand those medical terms until he explained them to me in a simple way. SSP- This is a super great program that exposes our children to higher/intellectual learning. It helped them prepare their minds for future expectations if they choose to follow the career path. It improved their knowledge. My son had a clinic follow-up with two of his doctors at the Texas Medical center. I listened to his conversation with one of the doctors, he told the doctor about his experience with this program, and both had a great conversation. The doctor was amazed at my son's level of exposure to research. I was speechless because it sounded to me like two physicians were in a research discussion, then I realized that was my son talking. I am indeed so proud of you all for putting up this type of program to encourage and boost students’ knowledge on their career paths. Please, feel free to quote me; this is how best I can express my gratitude to you all. I say a big thank you to all."
My son was a part of the Astrophysics program at UNC Chapel Hill this summer. I must say what an incredible experience it has been for him. It was a great pre-college experience for him as he learned a lot of life skills apart from the academic enrichment. Coming from a country and culture where everything is managed by one’s family, be it laundry, food, and even the wake-up alarm, SSP taught him all these basic life management skills which will help him adjust in the future. This has been the highlight for me as a parent. He fondly talks about other participants, TAs, and professors who helped him adjust there. His talks about the night sky observations, the frustration when the sky was cloudy, and the guest lectures have not stopped yet. He has attended other summer programs, but SSP was different as it was not just lectures but doing things. The practical, hands-on science makes SSP different than others. SSP was all that we expected when we decided to send him for the program.
The Summer Science Program is an independent non-profit 501(c)3, operated in cooperation with its host campuses and affiliates California Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
