Summer Research &
Innovation Program

*The Art & Science of Wheel-throwing Pottery (2 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

The science behind pottery, and the process in crafting it, is intriguing and eons old. Clay, water, fire, the essential elements in pottery making, have been utilized by humans for thousands of years to make functional and artistic vessels and sculptures. In this innovation and design experience, students will develop an understanding of the mineral and chemical processes involved in wheel-throwing pottery as well as the form and function of pottery design. Beginning with the various stages clay goes through - from wet, to leather-hard, to bone-dry- and moving on to the tools used for shaping, trimming and creating texture on pots, students will experiment with different mineral clay types and understand how the clay origin and molecular structure affects the pottery making process. Ceramic glaze consists of metal oxides, which give colors to glazes because of their light-absorbing properties. As students glaze their ceramic work, they will gain an in-depth understanding of the chemical properties of glazes and how glaze composition affects color and performance. Finally, through the magic and science of kiln firing, students will understand the role that kiln type and firing method have on the final outcome of the pottery design process. This opportunity is open to all levels.

*Exploring the South Mountains: Researching the History of a Landscape (2 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

The American Society for Environmental History defines this broad interdisciplinary field in terms of "fostering dialogue about human use of the earth among humanists, social and environmental scientists, and the public." Thus, "Environmental Historians seek to understand the complex entanglements of humans and the rest of nature over time." Exploring interactions between humans and the environment in Western North Carolina will be the focus of this course. Students who participate in this SRIP will collaborate on researching and creating an online exhibit of the environmental history of South Mountains. They will engage with this history through guided hikes, archive research, photography, interviews, videoblogs, and more. This opportunity will enable students to explore Appalachian history, ethnobotany, and environmental science through an interdisciplinary lens. Potential areas of focus may include indigenous land use; early settlers and the goldrush of the 1820s-1830s; genealogy and land ownership; bootlegging; CCC and the conservation movement; rare species preservation; water resource management, and the impact of wildfires. Students will present their work in an online exhibit that will become a part of NCSSM-Morganton Humanities digital collections and will be shared with the local community. Ability to hike moderate hiking trails is desired. Hiking boots are recommended.

*Summer Mentorship: Exploring Joara Foundation (5 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

The Exploring Joara Foundation, Inc. engages the public in archaeology in the Carolinas, and emphasizes the discovery of the Native American town of Joara and Fort San Juan, the first inland European settlement in the United States. 

Project areas include: 

• Working with EJF volunteers to prepare and deliver classes to school groups at the Living History Village at Catawba Meadows

• Continuing to develop the historic garden at the Living History Village 

• Researching domestication of plants by Native Americans

• Materials science projects with Native American pottery

• Foodways projects

• Physics and making stone tools 

• Experimental Archeaology 

• Native American culture in western North Carolina 

• Field School Opportunities 

*Summer Mentorship: University of North Carolina Asheville - Department of Chemistry (5 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Students will work in medicinal and biological chemistry labs to synthesize and test potential antibiotics against a bacterial pathogen. Projects include the use of synthetic organic chemistry methods to create test compounds and the use of biochemical assays to evaluate the compounds' ability to inhibit the ATP synthase enzyme of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and kill bacterial cells. The project requires working in Biosafety Level 2 environment. 

*Summer Mentorship: Western Carolina University - Highlands Biological Station (5 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Highlands Biological Station of Western Carolina University, established in 1927, is a 24-acre facility consisting of research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, residences, and other resources (including a library, 12-acre lakeside native plant botanical garden, and natural listory museam) in support of a wide range of field biology studies, classes, and programs. Student summer research assistants will take part in a range of research projects conducted at HBS each summer, including an ongoing MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) bird banding project, a time-series study of aquatic macroinvertebrates, environmental micro-plastics research, Botanical Garden living collections and Herbarium databasing, small mammal monitoring, HBS historical archives research, and more. Summer research assistants are encouraged to take part in HBS programming such as weekly summer seminars and may have opportunities to assist with research projects conducted by seasonal visiting research faculty. 

*Summer Mentorship: The History Museum of Burke County (5 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Established in 2003, The History Museum of Burke County began to gather and display artigacts of our hertiage for future generations. This story spans thousands of years from the time Native Americans lives and hunted in this region. In 1567 Spanish soldiers under Captain Juan Pardo constructed Fort San Juan near present day Morganton. In the early 1700s traders, missionaries, and settlers arrived. Burke County was established June 1, 1777. The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed a gold rush and the rise of timber, textile, and furniture industries and an influx of state institutions. 

The museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying our heritage for both current and future generations. Special exhibits and exhibits and events are scheduled during the year and published in a quarterly newsletter and area media. 

Students will: 

• Work with docents in guiding guests through the Museum

• Work with curators preparing artifacts for display by researching the historical background of said items, staging exhbition rooms, and preparing placards with brief descriptions or history behind pictures or artifacts and cleaning of artifacts. 

• Inventory artifacts

*Summer Mentorship: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certification Program (7 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

In the field of emergency medical servies (EMS), there are different levels of certifications for providers. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the most common type of providers in EMS. EMTs learn the essential skills to help in life-threatening situations and many EMTs go on to earn an Advanced EMT certificate, become a paramedic, or go to medical school. Data shows that students with EMT certification are more likely to be accepted to their medical school of choice unpon first application and are more likely to complete the pre-requisite clinical hours for medical school. 

This opportunity of a 216-hour didactic component combined with a 48-hour clinical field component. Upon successful completion of the 7-week experience, students will test for their EMT certification. Full program requirements are as outlined by the State of North Carolina are found here. 

*Robotics Design and Innovation (3 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Students will get the opportunity to explore the field of Robotics and its applications. Students will conduct independent or team based robotic desisns and software development. This may include: A.I., Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Mobile Robotics, Underwater Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, and others. 

*Summer Research in Science (3 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Summer Research in Science is a unique opportunity for NCSSM students to become scientists as they work ot answer their own authentic scientific questions or solve importnat problems within and across the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. Students will be supported by experienced science faculty facilitators in addition to external scientists as they develop and secure approval for their research proposals during the spring, conduct their projects during the three week summer session, and present their results at the end of the summer session and beyond. During the summer session, students will work in the biology, chemistry, and physics research labs on the NCSSM Morganton campus, but will also have the opportunity to extend beyond the campus to conduct relevant field work and connect with scientists to enhance their research.

*Outward Bound, Inward Ground: An Immersive Journey of Your Self-Worth (1 week)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

Our summer program is an immersive, experiential education opportunity for self-innovation brought to you through a partnership with Outward Bound's Table Rock Base Camp. It is a chance for you to explore who you are through shared challenges, adversity, and failures and successes while also gaining self-love, self-awareness, and self-confidence. The positive outcome Outward Bound participants receive - regardless of their age - include the awareness and respect for genuine collaboration and a desire to make a positive difference in their lives and those around them. The idea that "you are needed," no matter who you are, is a critical ingredient to the success of Outward Bound programs. And it is this element of inclusiveness and reliance on teamwork that sets an Outward Bound expedition apart from any other learning experience; expedition members are "crew, not passengers." Participants must demonstrate a willingness and appetite to challenge themselves physically, emotionally, and intellectually.

*Watershed Science and Design (2 weeks)

Available for Morganton residential and online students!

The project will be centered around a site on public land within 30 minutes of the NCSSM Morganton campus, where students will spend roughly 60% of their time either with data measurement or stream bed restoration. In addition to the instructor, there will be 2-5 community partners, primarily scientists from the Lake James Environmental Association, interactiwh with students at the site.