Fifteen East High School students are exploring the science of optics this week at a free camp at Monroe Community College in Brighton.
The sophomores, juniors and seniors will design various experiments under the guidance of local optics professionals and educators at the four-day Summer Optics Sizzler camp being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday, June 27-30, at MCC's Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road. In addition to gaining an understanding of optics concepts and principles, MCC students and industry professionals are planning to talk about local college degree programs and career paths in optics.
Currently, Rochester-area businesses face a shortage of skilled optics technicians.
Using a variety of technologies, the students will work in teams of three on assigned projects. These include using a $200 lens and a $15 LCD digital photo key chain to build an LCD projector that will give results similar to those of a $1,000 projector; building an interferometer, a device that uses light to measure the thickness of objects thinner than a sheet of paper; building a spectrometer to study the different spectra that come from different types of light bulbs; using fiber optic cables as a light pipe to determine the efficiency of light through varying lengths of cables; and creating 3-D optical illusions by overlapping two conventional photos.
Students will present their projects and research to their peers and to a panel of local optics professionals and educators from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
In a press release, Natalie Correa, 15, who is going into her junior year, said she enjoys physics and is excited about participating in the camp. "I like learning how things work and how different forces interact," she said.
Leonardo Torres, 17, who will be a senior, said he signed up because he wanted to keep his mind active. "I want to learn something new and do something educational in the summer."
Sponsored by MCC, the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster and the Citizens Bank Foundation, the camp is run by volunteers, including Joshua Cobb, MCC adjunct assistant professor of engineering technologies and senior optical systems engineer at Corning Inc.'s Fairport facility; James VanKouwenberg, training coordinator at Optimax; and East High Schools science teacher Paul Conrow. Dozens of optics businesses are donating staff, equipment and funds.
The sophomores, juniors and seniors will design various experiments under the guidance of local optics professionals and educators at the four-day Summer Optics Sizzler camp being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday, June 27-30, at MCC's Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road. In addition to gaining an understanding of optics concepts and principles, MCC students and industry professionals are planning to talk about local college degree programs and career paths in optics.
Currently, Rochester-area businesses face a shortage of skilled optics technicians.
Using a variety of technologies, the students will work in teams of three on assigned projects. These include using a $200 lens and a $15 LCD digital photo key chain to build an LCD projector that will give results similar to those of a $1,000 projector; building an interferometer, a device that uses light to measure the thickness of objects thinner than a sheet of paper; building a spectrometer to study the different spectra that come from different types of light bulbs; using fiber optic cables as a light pipe to determine the efficiency of light through varying lengths of cables; and creating 3-D optical illusions by overlapping two conventional photos.
Students will present their projects and research to their peers and to a panel of local optics professionals and educators from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
In a press release, Natalie Correa, 15, who is going into her junior year, said she enjoys physics and is excited about participating in the camp. "I like learning how things work and how different forces interact," she said.
Leonardo Torres, 17, who will be a senior, said he signed up because he wanted to keep his mind active. "I want to learn something new and do something educational in the summer."
Sponsored by MCC, the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster and the Citizens Bank Foundation, the camp is run by volunteers, including Joshua Cobb, MCC adjunct assistant professor of engineering technologies and senior optical systems engineer at Corning Inc.'s Fairport facility; James VanKouwenberg, training coordinator at Optimax; and East High Schools science teacher Paul Conrow. Dozens of optics businesses are donating staff, equipment and funds.
Fifteen East High School students are exploring the science of optics this week at a free camp at Monroe Community College in Brighton.
The sophomores, juniors and seniors will design various experiments under the guidance of local optics professionals and educators at the four-day Summer Optics Sizzler camp being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday, June 27-30, at MCC's Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road. In addition to gaining an understanding of optics concepts and principles, MCC students and industry professionals are planning to talk about local college degree programs and career paths in optics.
Currently, Rochester-area businesses face a shortage of skilled optics technicians.
Using a variety of technologies, the students will work in teams of three on assigned projects. These include using a $200 lens and a $15 LCD digital photo key chain to build an LCD projector that will give results similar to those of a $1,000 projector; building an interferometer, a device that uses light to measure the thickness of objects thinner than a sheet of paper; building a spectrometer to study the different spectra that come from different types of light bulbs; using fiber optic cables as a light pipe to determine the efficiency of light through varying lengths of cables; and creating 3-D optical illusions by overlapping two conventional photos.
Students will present their projects and research to their peers and to a panel of local optics professionals and educators from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
In a press release, Natalie Correa, 15, who is going into her junior year, said she enjoys physics and is excited about participating in the camp. "I like learning how things work and how different forces interact," she said.
Leonardo Torres, 17, who will be a senior, said he signed up because he wanted to keep his mind active. "I want to learn something new and do something educational in the summer."
Sponsored by MCC, the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster and the Citizens Bank Foundation, the camp is run by volunteers, including Joshua Cobb, MCC adjunct assistant professor of engineering technologies and senior optical systems engineer at Corning Inc.'s Fairport facility; James VanKouwenberg, training coordinator at Optimax; and East High Schools science teacher Paul Conrow. Dozens of optics businesses are donating staff, equipment and funds.
The sophomores, juniors and seniors will design various experiments under the guidance of local optics professionals and educators at the four-day Summer Optics Sizzler camp being held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday to Thursday, June 27-30, at MCC's Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road. In addition to gaining an understanding of optics concepts and principles, MCC students and industry professionals are planning to talk about local college degree programs and career paths in optics.
Currently, Rochester-area businesses face a shortage of skilled optics technicians.
Using a variety of technologies, the students will work in teams of three on assigned projects. These include using a $200 lens and a $15 LCD digital photo key chain to build an LCD projector that will give results similar to those of a $1,000 projector; building an interferometer, a device that uses light to measure the thickness of objects thinner than a sheet of paper; building a spectrometer to study the different spectra that come from different types of light bulbs; using fiber optic cables as a light pipe to determine the efficiency of light through varying lengths of cables; and creating 3-D optical illusions by overlapping two conventional photos.
Students will present their projects and research to their peers and to a panel of local optics professionals and educators from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
In a press release, Natalie Correa, 15, who is going into her junior year, said she enjoys physics and is excited about participating in the camp. "I like learning how things work and how different forces interact," she said.
Leonardo Torres, 17, who will be a senior, said he signed up because he wanted to keep his mind active. "I want to learn something new and do something educational in the summer."
Sponsored by MCC, the Rochester Regional Photonics Cluster and the Citizens Bank Foundation, the camp is run by volunteers, including Joshua Cobb, MCC adjunct assistant professor of engineering technologies and senior optical systems engineer at Corning Inc.'s Fairport facility; James VanKouwenberg, training coordinator at Optimax; and East High Schools science teacher Paul Conrow. Dozens of optics businesses are donating staff, equipment and funds.
