Working with an enthusiastic group of underrepresented Austin secondary students, University of Texas at Austin students who participate in the Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium (IE) have been sharing their experiences and skills during the It Could Be U summer camp. It Could Be U is an intensive mentoring and college readiness program that is a partnership between IE and the Media Communications Council (MCC).
Mirroring the structure of IE, It Could Be U is divided into three phases: discovery, ownership and accountability. During the discovery phase, MCC consultants work with teachers as they lead students through a six-unit interactive curriculum and a series of field trips with members of vertical teams from four broad fields of interest that include Media Communications, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), Entrepreneurship and the Arts.
The media driven curriculum allows teachers to accurately assess students’ communication and critical thinking skills while hands-on tours provide authentic glimpses at careers. In the ownership phase, students join vertical teams made up of IE Mentors, professionals and entrepreneurs to gain enrichment and build capacity within their respective fields of interest. During the accountability phase, students work directly with IE Mentors, professionals and business leaders to deliver valuable goods and services.
The students and their work will be featured at the annual E4 Youth Summit that takes place in August on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
Evidence of the the UT mentors and the younger students’ enthusiasm is shown in these video and photo images of the It Could Be U summer camp:
http://blip.tv/it-could-be-u/it-could-be-u-youth-camp-2011-day-2-5290022
http://blip.tv/it-could-be-u/it-could-be-u-youth-camp-2011-day-1-5290003
http://www.mediaxperiments.com/video/it-could-be-u-camp-slideshow
