AIS Offers Challenging Forensic Science Camp to Upper School Students

By Becky Rosenberg, AIS Faculty Member

Becky Rosenburg is a member of the AIS leadership group that visited Australia last year to collaborate with Kel Hardingham, the founder of the Forensic Science Camp, and learn how to develop the camp for AIS. After running a small-scale forensic science camp as a pilot program at AIS last winter, the forensic camp leadership team is ready to open it to AIS and Atlanta community students who are ready for a challenge of a lifetime. Ms. Rosenberg shares her views regarding this innovative camp experience.

Forensics Camp, to be offered by AIS to students in grades 8 to 11 this summer from July 28 to August 1, comes at a time when I think we are in need of more diverse programming across the grades. As part of the leadership group for this initiative, I’m happy to be a part of it and offer forensics to our community. It’s a program I believe in, having seen it and lived it last summer in Armidale, Australia, and then having worked to make a small camp happen at AIS this winter break. As a camp that has students attempting to solve crime scenarios that the student leaders (known as controllers) craft, it develops a skill set that includes attention to detail, debate, presentation, thinking before acting, collaborating, being scientific and precise, and much more. Now we are ready to go big and reach near and far with this one-week offer to Upper School students. We are hosting it here at AIS even though it is open to any student who meets the criteria we outline on our website at http://aisforensics.wordpress.com/. Please check it out and investigate the possibility of this engaging program for your child. The camp is based on science and problem solving, and is collaborative, exciting, and challenging. The best part about it is that it is “for the kids by the kids.” The vision of the camp founder, Kel Hardingham, is the result of an effort to challenge upper school students. As a long-time science teacher, he noticed that many upper-level students with leadership potential were not engaged in group projects. He essentially gathered those leaders and challenged them with the forensic science camp, and they have been coming back for over a dozen years, in droves! The Australian camp has a rigorous application process that truly selects students who are a terrific match. Similarly, the application process at AIS will enable us to identify students who are truly interested in the challenge the camp presents. Both Nikki Hardon and I, the two advisors, will be in charge of the evaluation committee for those who are accepted this summer. Veteran upper school forensic students, Adama, Victoria and Emily, will take many of the leadership roles and formulate the scenario challenges. Together, we offer your upper school student first crack at an experience of a lifetime, and perhaps even a glimpse into a possible career. The registration deadline is May 1, so visit http://aisforensics.wordpress.com/ and start early with the process!

Camp Leader Recalls Unforgettable Trip to Australia

By Adama Yanka Tarawally, Grade 10

Adama was one of two students who visited Australia last year with Becky Rosenberg, AIS faculty member, and Amy Medford, After-School Programs Manager, to take part in the Australian camp and lean how to recreate it at AIS. She recalls her experience in Australia.

When the Forensic Science camp was first mentioned in morning meeting, it sparked a sudden interest. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a forensic scientist? At that time, all I knew was that the students chosen would go to Australia, learn how the camp is run and put together, then come back and do the same thing at AIS. Sounds like fun right? I went to the meeting, learned more about the camp, and that is when I was 100% sure that I wanted to run the Forensic camp, all I needed to hear was the words “you can go”. Sure enough, the day came, and I heard those words from Mrs. Medford. I was ready. I then learned that I would be accompanied by fellow student, Victoria, and Ms. Rosenberg. Once we were at the airport, I finally realized that I, Adama Tarawally, would soon be running a camp. As I kissed and hugged my family goodbye, I had no idea what experiences the trip would enable me to have. After flying from country to country and hours of anticipation, I began to wonder “What are the controllers going to be like? What are the campers going to be like? Are they going to like us as ‘Americans’? Is it going to be fun?” So many questions were running through my mind. When we had finally arrived at Armidale airport, we were greeted by Mr. Kel Hunningham, the camp director, and our friend, the wonderful Bianca McCarthy. Once we had arrived at the Armidale school, where the camp would be taking place, we were greeted by the vibrant, ecstatic and kind Annalise saying, “The ‘Americans’ are here!” After putting our stuff down we went to the lab meet the rest of the controllers, Jack, Rosie, Shawn, Mitchell, Mickey, Jade, Toby, Mel, Robby, Pato, and Ayden. The next day, one day before the awaited arrival of the campers, Victoria and I just watched how scenarios were set up and wrote a scenario of our own. On the day of the campers’ arrival, anyone who didn’t know we had just flown in would have thought that we had all been friends for years. Although we laughed and had fun all the time, we still knew when it was time to work. We registered the campers, gave them their kits and fingerprinted them. The camp was completely student run, which is just how Kel had wanted it to be. I was impressed how well Robby, the secretary, Mel and Toby, the managers, and the controllers handled everything that came their way. The way the camp works is the controllers come up with different scenarios assigning them to various groups. Each day the controllers give the campers more evidence that they can then test. At the end of the camp, the campers prepare presentations that they use in court to convict the suspects. The crimes included set-ups, poisoning and even murders. The seven days we spent at the camp flew by so quickly that I didn’t want to leave. I couldn’t believe that such an experience could ever come to an end. It isn’t the tour of the Opera House (although it was the most beautifully complex, mind-blowing building I’ve ever seen) or the shopping that I miss. It is the people and just being there that I miss the most. It’s the trips to the store to buy lollies and Tim Tams for movie night; it is the game of football we played in the pool, the game of rugby we played, and the rugby match between New South Whales (NSW) and Queensland we watched. It is also the jokes we had in the library, the dinner we had (especially the gifts that were handed out afterwards) and the karaoke night that I miss. I thank Kel for allowing us to be part of his dream and his camp, for taking us into is home and into his heart, and for believing that we can run the camp successfully. Thanks to Mrs. Medford and Ms. Rosenberg for allowing me to take this incredible trip. I can officially say, “I’m an Aussie.”

Scenes from the First AIS Forensic Science Camp in December 2007

Campers are fingerprinted upon arrival at camp.

Campers practice lifting fingerprints before they apply the procedure to their evidence.

Campers take a photo of the fingerprint they lifted from their evidence. This photo is used during the Grand Jury trial by the prosecution against the accused.

Campers pose for a photo just before the Grand Jury convenes.