ITCEP (Institute of Technology Center for Educational Programs)

IT Center for Educational Programs
University of Minnesota
4 Vincent Hall
206 Church Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

The Institute of Technology Center for Educational Programs (ITCEP) at the University of Minnesota develops and administers educational mathematics programs, with related science and engineering applications, for pre-college students and K-12 teachers, in addition to undergraduate and graduate students. Programs that EPCGT students and families may be interested in include the following:

Math Enrichment Programs

Math Enrichment programs are offered by the ITCEP for grades 3-12 during the school year. The primary objective is to offer innovative activities on a variety of math topics and introduce students to the math community and the role of math in society. Each program encourages participants to explore math and its scientific applications from different perspectives through interactive activities and hands-on experiments in a relaxed atmosphere. Students work closely with outstanding instructors (10:1 ratio) and university student mentors associated with the U of M Talented Youth Mathematics program (UMTYMP). The activities are held on specific Saturday mornings from 9:15–12:00 at the U of M campuses. The programs offered are:

• Activities Introducing Mathematics Enrichment (AIME)
  Grades 3-4



• Mathematics: Fun Activities and Challenging Topics (M-FACTS)
  Grades 4-5



• Professions and Recreations: Intermediate Mathematics Enrichment (PRIME)
  Grades 5-6



• Young Emerging Scholars (YES)
  Grades 6-7
  (One of the workshops is on UMTYMP Exam Preparation – Problem Solving, and participants have an opportunity to take the UMTYMP Algebra Entrance Exam early for no extra fee, giving them a second chance to take the exam for a fee at the regular time if they don’t pass the early test.)



• Mathematical Circle
  grades 8-12
  Engage in group problem solving as you meet with like-minded peers under the capable leadership of two experienced high school mathematics teachers. Meetings will be held monthly and will include guest speakers from the U of M Department of Mathematics.

UMTYMP

UMTYMP (University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program) is a mathematics program that replaces the school math program beginning with Algebra (or later entry for the Calculus sequence) for students who desire and can handle the accelerated, in-depth instruction on the University of Minnesota campus. (grades 5-12 – check our link for local info and verify lower entrance grade on the ITCEP website listed below, as it may be changing)

Family Fun Fair

The Family Fun Fair is held annually by ITCEP in the spring. This one-day family event is a mathematician’s delight, with exhibits and hands-on activities in the areas of math, science and engineering. Many departments at the University share space with outside organizations to excite youngsters with the idea of pursuing similar careers. The fair is free to students enrolled in UMTYMP or any of the Saturday Enrichment Programs, and has an entrance fee ($25?) for other families or small groups (1 adult and up to 4 students). Look for registration forms and more details on the website in February.

What do kids and parents have to say about ITCEP?

From EPCGT NEWS, Oct. 2001:

Dhruv (11 yrs.) attended PRIME last year and is going to YES this year. He felt it was fun and educational and liked how math was related to other subjects and used daily. His sister Mihika (9 yrs) took AIME and particularly enjoyed creating 3D paper polyhedrons for geometry. Their parents felt that these programs showcased math in a different light, offered connections to other kids who loved math and are a good precursor to UMTYMP. The career panel was great, and the annual math fun fair was fun and informative.

For more information about any ITCEP programs, call (612) 625-2861 or visit ITCEP