Best and Brightest Middle- and High-Schoolers

Academically gifted students in eighth through 11th grades from Manatee, Sarasota and Pinellas counties will study with New College faculty this weekend, Oct. 6-7, at New College of Florida.

The young students will participate in the Duke TIP Scholar Weekend Program. The program, held in spring and fall at New College, is a collaboration between New College and the Duke University Talent Identification Program, which is designed to give Florida’s best and brightest middle- and high-school students a college-level enrichment opportunity taught by talented college faculty.

Classes this fall are:

• “Ancient Maya Culture, Texts and Lifeways,” instructor: Dr. Gabrielle Vail, research scholar;
• “Experiencing Shakespeare: Performance and Theater History,” instructor: Dr. Nova Myhill, associate professor of British and American literature;
• “Behavior of Bayshore Animals: From Seahorses to Hermit Crabs,” instructor: Dr. Leo S. Demski, Florsheim professor of biology; and
• “Cruising the Caribbean,” instructor: Dr. Sonia Labrador-Rodriguez, associate professor of Spanish language and literature.

The students, who must apply to attend Scholar Weekend, take one of the four courses at morning and afternoon sessions both days.