ARLINGTON, VA — December 19, 2011 — The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) will sponsor three students to attend the 2012 Research Science Institute (RSI) next summer.

RSI is a six-week residential summer program sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The program will be held from June 24 through August 4, 2012 and allows 80 high-school students from all over the world to work under the mentorship of eminent scientists and researchers.

To be eligible for the program students must complete their junior year of high school by June 2012. Students selected to participate in RSI will experience college-level classes, taught by distinguished professors from leading universities. The classes are designed to improve student research skills, as they complete hands-on research.

Students must provide evidence of their leadership potential in science and mathematics and demonstrate leadership abilities in community and school activities, as well as submit examples of the following criteria:

• Written essay responses to questions pertaining to his or her goals in science and/or math;
• Two recommendations from teachers familiar with the student's academic record;
• Copy of the student's high school transcript reflecting his or her academic record;
• Demonstrated superior achievement in math, the sciences, and writing/presentation skills;
• PSAT math and verbal scores showing evidence of exceptional potential. It is recommended that math PSAT scores be at least 75 and combined math and verbal PSAT scores be at least 140.

Parents and students may obtain further information and guidance from RSI, as well as an application form on the Center for Excellence in Education's (CEE) website - www.cee.org. More information is also available on DoDEA's homepage - www.dodea.edu/students/rsi.cfm.

The deadline and process for DoDEA students to submit an application differs from what is listed on the CEE website. Interested DoDEA students should complete the online application with all required documentation and submit it to their principal by January 6, 2012.

Principals will review and ensure the applications are complete. After review, principals will send the applications to the Area Deputy Directors by January 12, 2012, who will facilitate selections at the Area level. Area Deputy Directors will then forward the selected applications to DoDEA headquarters in Arlington, Va. by January 16, 2012. The RSI Selection Committee at DoDEA headquarters will make the final selections.

All travel expenses for the three selected students will be paid by DoDEA. Expenses for lodging and meals are included as part of the RSI Program. DoDEA headquarters and RSI will notify selected students in late spring 2012. Please contact Kim Day at kim.day@hq.dodea.edu or by phone (703)-588-3145 with any questions.

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for Department of Defense (DoD) dependents who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality, public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, the United States, Cuba, Guam and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Education Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.