The Governor’s School for Math and Science hopes to develop these young minds into the state’s future scientists.
The students at the Governor’s School for Math and Science are entering eighth and ninth grades.
They traveled to WVU from every corner of the state.
Terri Sappington is the Director of the Governor’s School for Math and Science.
“The theme of our sessions is A Day at the Fair; we’re going to build amusement parks,” she said.
She says the students will get a crash course in how amusement parks operate.
“We have three different math classes; one of them dealing with the calculus behind roller coasters,” she said.
“The second one is mathematical models, and they are doing a lot with pendulums. The third one is finance and budgeting.”
The students will use their knowledge to build their own miniature amusement park, complete with rides and a food court.
The science classes will teach students about green energy opportunities at amusement parks, the chemistry behind fireworks, and the optics used in funhouses.
Sappington emphasized not all work will be done in the classroom.
“We’ll be going to Kennywood, and our students will not only get to experience the rides, but they will also be doing research,” she said.
“They will be getting a behind the scenes look at the roller coasters, and studying the physics behind them.”
In order to tell if science is truly fun, you have to ask the students, like Katlin Kouns from Kanawha County.
Kouns says her science class worked on optics, which is a topic that interests her.
“I’m glad that we were able to incorporate real life situations into this,” she said.
Alaina Shreves, from Harrison County, is also enjoying the Governor’s School for Math and Science.
“I thought, you know, I want to have fun in the summer and it turns out that’s what we’re having,” she said.
The students will share their miniature amusement parks with each other at the conclusion of the program.
The first session for eighth-graders ends Friday.
The session for ninth-graders is July 19 to the 31.