ONNA VILLAGE, OKINAWA — December 6, 2010 — Over 60 aspiring scientists from DoDEA Pacific high schools will gather here Dec. 12-17 for the inaugural Far East Science and Research Academy.

SARA was designed by a cadre of DoDEA Pacific educators as an Advanced Placement level event focused on scientific inquiry and rigorous research. The theme for the intensive week of study in the areas of physics and chemistry is “Science and research: an Exploration into the Unknown.”

The schedule features a variety of workshops and lectures on research statistics and data analysis, experimental design, scientific literature reviews and academic writing, and other key aspects of the research process. Planned activities include team-building exercises, virtual labs, field trips, guest speakers, and an awards ceremony.

Mentors comprised of DoDEA Pacific teachers and graduate students from Okinawa’s University of the Ryukyus will be on hand to guide student learning. DoDEA Pacific students will demonstrate their mastery of concepts presented throughout the event during formal presentations delivered in a peer-review setting on the final day of the event.

“The purpose of all DoDEA Pacific academic activities is to provide students the opportunity to experience a deep dive into an academic area of interest,” said DoDEA Pacific Activities Coordinator. “SARA will allow students to fully explore their scientific interests and immerse themselves in the research process by working with highly-qualified instructors in a collaborative setting.”

SARA complements DoDEA science curricula and related student activities such as the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Research Science Institute and Far East MathematicaFest.

For further information, including locations and a detailed event schedule, please contact Event co-Directors at DSN: 253-5448 or at DSN: 263-3181.

 
About DoDEA Pacific Far East Activities and Athletics:
In addition to the Science and Research Academy, DoDEA Pacific sponsors 24 other unique Far East athletic and scholastic opportunities throughout the school year. Scholastic events include Far East Journalism, MathematicaFest, LinguaFest, and many more while athletic competition includes tennis, cheerleading, cross country, track and field, football, baseball, wrestling, among others. Far East events also include several art and music offerings such as the Film and Entertainment Arts Festival, Creative Expressions, Culinary Arts, Honor Music and Jazz Honor Festivals, etc.

Far East events reinforce DoDEA core curriculum by providing students area-wide festivals, symposiums and competitions to showcase their creative, academic and athletic talents. The events are coordinated and managed by the DoDEA Pacific area office with guidance provided by the Far East Activities and Athletic Councils.

About DoDEA Pacific:
DoDEA Pacific provides a comprehensive preK-12 education to the children of military and eligible civilian personnel families serving throughout Asia. The 48 schools in DoDEA Pacific are comprised of more than 24,000 students and 3,100 full-time professional educators and support staff. The schools are geographically organized into four districts: Guam, Japan, Okinawa and South Korea.