Jax wants to go to Nerd Camp-again
Donation protected
This is Jackson - also known as FSK (Freakishly Smart Kid). With your help, last year Jackson attended Duke Tip's Summer Studies Program at Wake-Forest University. It was an incredible experience and he's so excited that has been invited to return again this year. Based on his high achievement and financial need, he's been awarded a $2600 scholarship. He’s trying to raise the remaining $1200 balance plus travel expenses and some pocket money.
July 1st is the date everything is due.
Please know that even $5 donations are a tremendous help. Last year Jackson got a huge kick out of seeing how many people contributed, not just the amounts. He's a numbers guy...
What is Duke Tip’s Summer Studies Program?
From their website:
“Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs are superb academic opportunities and dynamic residential and social experiences for seventh through tenth graders. These three-week sessions are intense and demanding; students are challenged to think critically about themselves and their world.”
Last year I called it Nerd Camp - and that's a perfect description. Jackson is profoundly gifted, scoring a 29 on the ACT college entrance exam at age 12. At Duke Tip, he is surrounded by other kids who think like he does. They discuss mathematical theory and genetic manipulation while playing playing frisbee and fist-bumping in the halls.
Why do we need help?
In addition to being profoundly gifted, Jackson has Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s basically high functioning autism. He struggles to be tactful in social situations and he has difficulty making friends because of some developmental delays.
He goes to therapy once a week to learn the behaviors that most people take for granted: tact, eye contact, recognizing other people’s physical boundaries, etc. In addition, we’ve worked closely with the school system to make sure he’s in appropriate classes; grade level advanced in some, others he attends with his peers so he can learn social skills.
Jackson has progressed beautifully in therapy, to the point where it’s not immediately obvious he’s autistic. However, the end result is a great deal of medical expenses and time invested that affect our already small household budget.
Our budget is small in part because of the above and in part because I am a single mother. I work from home so I can be readily available to do the things that need to be done when one has a child with special needs - therapy appointments, school meetings, etc. - as well as a neuro-typical child who is also bright and active. Though he loves his children, their father does not contribute to their summer camp tuition beyond that which the court requires.
Why should he go?
First: It’s an incredible academic opportunity for him. This year he's chosen "Cryptography, Codebreaking, and the Mathematics of Spying" for his coursework. I fully expect to have the NSA on my doorstep when this is all over.
Second: It’s an opportunity to learn and practice social skills. At Duke Tip, he finds himself in a variety of social situations that require him to put into practice the skills he learns in therapy.
Third (and most important to me): He has the opportunity to make friends. After last year's Duke Tip experience, Jackson became much more social in school - he even has a "lunch-posse". My hope is that he will continue to develop and blossom and form new friendships that will extend beyond summer camp.
As an aside, I didn’t name it Nerd Camp. I pulled the name from the site run by Duke Tip attendees and alums: www.tipwiki.net
What else does Jackson do?
Jackson is very active in his boy scout troop and does a lot of community service with them. In his weekly social skills group, he's become a leader and mentor for other kids on the Autism Spectrum. He is on the track team, and participates in Nashville Children’s Theatre’s summer program. He also spends time playing with his 11 year old brother.
We’re trying to raise the $1200 balance for tuition, and $800 to cover travel expenses and pocket money for the three weeks he’s there.
This is Jackson from last year's Duke Tip program:
July 1st is the date everything is due.
Please know that even $5 donations are a tremendous help. Last year Jackson got a huge kick out of seeing how many people contributed, not just the amounts. He's a numbers guy...
What is Duke Tip’s Summer Studies Program?
From their website:
“Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs are superb academic opportunities and dynamic residential and social experiences for seventh through tenth graders. These three-week sessions are intense and demanding; students are challenged to think critically about themselves and their world.”
Last year I called it Nerd Camp - and that's a perfect description. Jackson is profoundly gifted, scoring a 29 on the ACT college entrance exam at age 12. At Duke Tip, he is surrounded by other kids who think like he does. They discuss mathematical theory and genetic manipulation while playing playing frisbee and fist-bumping in the halls.
Why do we need help?
In addition to being profoundly gifted, Jackson has Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s basically high functioning autism. He struggles to be tactful in social situations and he has difficulty making friends because of some developmental delays.
He goes to therapy once a week to learn the behaviors that most people take for granted: tact, eye contact, recognizing other people’s physical boundaries, etc. In addition, we’ve worked closely with the school system to make sure he’s in appropriate classes; grade level advanced in some, others he attends with his peers so he can learn social skills.
Jackson has progressed beautifully in therapy, to the point where it’s not immediately obvious he’s autistic. However, the end result is a great deal of medical expenses and time invested that affect our already small household budget.
Our budget is small in part because of the above and in part because I am a single mother. I work from home so I can be readily available to do the things that need to be done when one has a child with special needs - therapy appointments, school meetings, etc. - as well as a neuro-typical child who is also bright and active. Though he loves his children, their father does not contribute to their summer camp tuition beyond that which the court requires.
Why should he go?
First: It’s an incredible academic opportunity for him. This year he's chosen "Cryptography, Codebreaking, and the Mathematics of Spying" for his coursework. I fully expect to have the NSA on my doorstep when this is all over.
Second: It’s an opportunity to learn and practice social skills. At Duke Tip, he finds himself in a variety of social situations that require him to put into practice the skills he learns in therapy.
Third (and most important to me): He has the opportunity to make friends. After last year's Duke Tip experience, Jackson became much more social in school - he even has a "lunch-posse". My hope is that he will continue to develop and blossom and form new friendships that will extend beyond summer camp.
As an aside, I didn’t name it Nerd Camp. I pulled the name from the site run by Duke Tip attendees and alums: www.tipwiki.net
What else does Jackson do?
Jackson is very active in his boy scout troop and does a lot of community service with them. In his weekly social skills group, he's become a leader and mentor for other kids on the Autism Spectrum. He is on the track team, and participates in Nashville Children’s Theatre’s summer program. He also spends time playing with his 11 year old brother.
We’re trying to raise the $1200 balance for tuition, and $800 to cover travel expenses and pocket money for the three weeks he’s there.
This is Jackson from last year's Duke Tip program:
Organizer
Linda Chamiele Lansford
Organizer
Nashville, TN