Monitor on Psychology - April 2012 - (Page 66)

Pre-college grants from APF This year marks the sixth anniversary of the American Psychological Foundation’s (APF) PreCollege Grant program, which provides up to $20,000 a year to support projects that promote the science and application of psychology for promising high school students. The program “tries to fund projects that wouldn’t typically be funded by other places,” says Parie Kadir, program officer of the APF. “Our mission is to seed innovation and launch careers. We really look for innovative, cutting-edge grants that you wouldn’t normally see — not just implementing psychology in high schools, but really showing students how interesting and exciting psychology can be.” APF is particularly interested in projects that will generate student interest “in innovative ways and areas that not everyone is thinking about,” says Kadir. Last year’s winner set up a program that allowed students to study the psychological impact of flight on pilots. “She planned to take her students to a simulator center to experience flight themselves,” Kadir says. “The project will help them to see that psychology isn’t just about private counseling, but also that it can benefit society. I personally would have loved to go with them.” Past projects have included professional development for teachers, pre-college research internships for students, and an intensive threeweek summer program for promising juniors and seniors at the University of Chicago. The 2012 grant cycle is under way, with applications due by May 1. For guidelines and application information, visit www.apa.org/apf/funding/pre-college.aspx. In addition to the Pre-College Grant program, APF offers two additional grant programs for high school psychology teachers through the Education Directorate, one to provide travel and related support for teachers to attend workshops and conferences, such as to the APA Annual Convention, and one to support local teaching networks. These grant cycles are also now under way, with applications due by April 15 and May 1. To apply for these grants, contact APA’s Education Directorate at eleary@apa.org. —E. WOJCIK neurons in chimpanzees or working to find new treatments for mental health conditions. Other students intern at the local police station, where they study criminology, or at St. Luke’s House, a day center for individuals with schizophrenia, where under the supervision of the staff psychiatrists, they help patients socialize and get work. Students get academic credit for their work, and Smith receives regular reports from supervisors and the students themselves. The response has been enthusiastic, and not just from the kids, she says. “Colleges like to see unique experience from applicants,” says Smith. Game on High school teachers in Illinois have been building a buzz about psychology through a regional Psychology Bowl they developed to help students prepare for the AP exams. Laura Brandt, chair of social studies at Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake, Ill., and her colleagues first organized this academic quiz-show-style tournament nine years ago. The bowl’s teams have up to 10 student members and the competition is broken into two rounds. In the first round, each student is given a number. All the No. 1s have to try to answer the same question, then the No. 2s and so on. “This way, everyone on the team gets to answer a question,” says Brandt. “It serves as an equalizer.” The answers, to questions from past AP exams, are judged by a panel of teachers. This is followed by a round-robin style “buzzer round,” in which randomly selected teams compete against each other and the clock until two teams remain for the finals. The bowl has grown over the years, from five teams to 12 from all over the state. “It’s a friendly competition, but the students get really into it,” says Brandt. “We have a silly first-place trophy that they put together, with a metal man holding a brain, and the second-place team gets a Sigmund Freud action figure.” Honoring students with promise The growing interest in high school psychology has prompted several teachers to find ways to recognize student achievement through nationally recognized societies. Psi Beta, which honors psychology students in community colleges, is looking into creating a national high school honor society. “It has been done in English in high schools and is very successful,” says Psi Beta Executive Director Jerry Rudmann. Modeled on Psi Beta and Psi Chi, the society would establish merit awards for high school students, support advanced research opportunities and recognize good scholarship. Rudmann notes that such a program would also carry weight with college applications and show students that their work has relevance beyond the classroom. “Psi Chi and Psi Beta chapters are always MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY • APRIL 2012 66 http://www.apa.org/apf/funding/pre-college.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - April 2012

Monitor on Psychology - April 2010
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Internship Shortage Continues
Mental Health Services Remain Scarce at Community Colleges
Apa Weighs in on the Constitutionality of Life Without Parole for Juvenile Offenders
Apa Praises Court’s Support for Equality
New Mobile App Answers Psychologists’ Clinical Questions
Nih Offers Free Web Resources for Psychologist Researchers
New and Improved Psyclink
In Brief
Government Relations Update
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Random Sample
Judicial Notebook
Early Career Psychology
Psychologist Profile
Coal Miners’ Dilemma
The Science of Political Advertising
Science Watch
Science Directions
More Support Needed for Trauma Interventions
The Case Against Spanking
Innovative Psychology at the High School Level
Speaking of Education
Apa Divisions Reach Out to New Psychologists
New Journal Editors
A Home Base for Multiple Fields
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Awards and Funding Opportunities
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - April 2012