Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing

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Summer Computing Academy

Program Details

Description

The Summer Computing Academy held by Texas A&M High Performance Research Computing seeks to enable aspiring computer scientists, developers, and engineers in their pursuit of computing fields. The academy will host two week long (five day) computing programs at Texas A&M University campus. Participants will arrive in the morning each day before the start of the program and will leave each day after the activities for that day are completed. By combining exceptional Texas A&M University facilities with the versatile Raspberry Pi and over 100 years of combined computing experience between camp coordinators, we hope to inspire attendees to succeed within code-related fields. Attendees of the Summer Computing Academy will also be able to experience Texas A&M University with commentary and guidance from our academy coordinators.

Logistical Information

  • Dates:
    • Introductory: June 4 - 8, 2018
    • Intermediate: July 23 - 27, 2018
  • Time: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Location: Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building (ILSB) Auditiorium, Texas A&M University, College Station
  • Lunch will be provided on-site.
  • Application Site: Applications are not yet being accepted.
  • Fees: $300 per camp, $550 for both (Limited Scholarships are available!)
  • Sponsorship Opportunities are available.

Participants are expected to bring their own laptops.

If you are under the age of 18, a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian will be REQUIRED for your participation in the Summer Computing Academy.

Limited scholarships are available to cover all or part of the registration fees. Proof of legal residency or immigration status is required to receive a scholarship.

Activities Overview

  • A Raspberry Pi based project, to be taken home at the end of the week.
  • Daily activities geared towards enhancing problem-solving and debugging skills in Python.
  • A tour of campus, with spots relevant to Texas A&M history and culture.
  • A visit to the Teague data center to see two of the Texas A&M supercomputers, Ada and Terra.
  • A tour of the Engineering Innovation Center at Texas A&M University.
  • Lunch at the SBISA Dining Hall and MSC on campus.
  • Interactions with current and former students from Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Electrical Engineering.
  • Time for one-on-one sessions regarding advice on college preparation, acceptance, student life, career prospects, or almost anything else.

For a full schedule of events, please check our agenda page.

Important Information

If you have any questions on the information below, please check our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Registration Fees and Payment

The Summer Computing Academy charges a registration fee of $300 USD. Limited scholarships that cover all or part of the registration fees are available. Payment details will be sent by email to applicants along with their notice of selection. These fees will be used to fund the purchase of a functional Raspberry Pi kit of $90 value that the participants will take home after completion of the camp. A portion of these fees are applied towards providing each participant with lunches, snacks, and drinks. These fees also cover printing costs and other such administrative expenses. On-campus parking expenses are not included in the registration fees. The academy functions on an at-cost basis, any unused funds will be used to support similar HPRC outreach activities.

Upon acceptance to the Summer Computing Academy, you will receive an email containing payment information and instructions. Payment can be made in the forms of electronic check and credit or debit cards.

Meeting Location

Participants will meet each day prior to the start of the program on the Texas A&M University campus at Henderson Hall. The majority of the program will take place in the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building, next to Henderson Hall.

Drop-Off and Pick-up

Drop-off time: 8:15 AM, Monday - Friday of the camp (15 minutes before camp activities begin)
Pick-up time: 4:45 PM, Monday - Friday of the camp (15 minutes after camp activities end)

Attendees can be dropped off and picked up on the Texas A&M campus at Henderson Hall within Lot 20 (off of 222 Jones St). We ask that parents/guardians have the student ready to go upon arrival to Lot 20 in order to avoid traffic congestion. Parents may use the Division of Research parking spot for 5 minutes.

Meals

Participants will be provided with lunch at the SBISA Dining Hall at Texas A&M. Please note that while we will try our utmost to accommodate all food allergies and/or dietary requirements, we may not be able to accommodate all requests for every meal.

Parking

Those who will drive and park themselves must purchase a temporary permit from Texas A&M Transportation Services and park within a designated lot. Lot 20, the lot surrounding Henderson Hall, is NOT a designated parking lot for temporary permits. However, Lot 30, a short walk away from Henderson Hall, is a designated parking lot for temporary/summer permits. Expect moderate-to-high occupancy of Lot 30 throughout the day.

Transportation and Housing

This program does not offer transportation or on-site housing at Texas A&M University. Each participant will need to be able to travel to Texas A&M University daily for the duration of the program. A listing of nearby hotels can be found here.

Participant Expectations

The majority of the program will take place inside the Interdisciplinary Life Sciences Building. This building is home to many campus laboratories. As such, running and other horseplay in the building is strictly prohibited. Similarly, participants should not be wandering in the building unsupervised at any time.

Any distracting and/or potentially dangerous behavior throughout the duration of the camp will not be tolerated.

Participants of this camp are expected to adhere to the same principles of the Aggie Honor Code.
"An Aggie does not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do."

All participant expectations are outlined on the Code of Conduct form which can be found on the forms page.

Instructors

Camp counsellors will be Texas A&M University employees. Instructors are selected from a pool of faculty and staff who have taught Texas A&M HPRC courses. Instructors will be accompanied by current Texas A&M HPRC student employees. All counsellors have successfully passed a criminal background check. Participants will be under the supervision of counsellors at all times.

Reception

Parents are invited to the post-camp reception on Friday afternoon at 3 PM. Certificates will be distributed. Refreshments will be served.

Tours

Texas A&M Campus - Monday
Texas A&M Engineering Innovation Center (EIC) (3D-Printing) - Thursday
Exploring Virtual Reality at the Immersive Visualization Center (IVC) - Thursday
The Teague Data Center - Friday
The Laboratory for Molecular Simulations with Dr. Lisa Perez - Friday