NORTHRIDGE : Youths Test the Waters in CSUN Course

It looked more like a day at summer camp than a science lesson when about two dozen children captained a fleet of plywood boats at CSUN’s outdoor pool with a group of onlookers cheering from the sidelines.

“It didn’t feel like school at all,” said Collin Ogle, 13, a student in the four-week summer school class. “It was just like a bunch of friends getting together and having fun.”

Collin and about 27 other sixth- through ninth-graders participated in the science class called “Imagineering,” one of more than 45 classes offered at Cal State Northridge’s annual summer academic enrichment program for secondary school students.

In its 15th summer, the program attracted 880 public and private school students from throughout the San Fernando Valley who paid $300 each for four weeks of classes in a variety of subjects, including math, art, computers and drama.

In the “Imagineering” course, students worked in groups using a combination of physics, economics, engineering, law and common sense to form companies before designing and building their own boats according to safety regulations and imaginary budgets.

After two weeks of planning and construction, the students couldn’t tell until launch whether their boats would float. With one leaky exception, the simple boats proved seaworthy on their maiden voyages Thursday.

Instructor Jim Belg, who teaches science at Patrick Henry Junior High School in Granada Hills during the school year, said the goal of the project was to combine a variety of disciplines, show children the importance of working together and spark students’ interest in science.

“Science needs to be hands-on,” he said. “If I had to teach straight out of a book, it would be really boring.”

Enrollment in the enrichment program is open to students in grades six through 12, and CSUN offers about 30 partial scholarships and 10 full grants each year to those who cannot afford tuition. According to the program’s organizers, enrollment this summer was the highest ever, with about 100 more students than last year.