VESSS Summer Academy Week 1: June 25, 2016 - July 1, 2016 Week 2: July 16, 2016 - July 22, 2016
The Virginia Earth Systems Science Summer Academy, more commonly known as the VESSS Academy, is a summer academy, not a camp, designed to push Scholars to their limit by testing their knowledge of STEM fields in order to create four viable Earth science missions. To achieve this goal, the Scholars are divided into groups separated by spheres: hydrosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere.
During their stay at the NASA Langley Research Center, scholars will partake in a multitude of activities and presentations. Scholars will tour different facilities and labs, typically not accessible to the public, to view some of the research center's cutting edge research and projects. Furthermore, scholars will have the opportunity to observe a vast array of careers in the areas of math, science, and technology and will receive seminar presentations by state legislators, NASA scientists, engineers, technologists, and astronauts and aerospace industry representatives.
Throughout their journey of designing Earth science missions, students will be in constant interaction with not only undergraduate interns and master teachers, but NASA scientists and engineers who will serve to mentor these scholars. These industry professionals will expose students to the many opportunities available in STEM fields.