High School students near and far attend College of Arts and Sciences’ Early College Program

Students in UNE's Early College Program kayak in the Saco River.

While most high school students think of summer as a break from education, UNE’s Early College students took full advantage of their downtime this summer. From July 9 to 21, high school students from as far away as Egypt and China came to UNE to spend two weeks earning three credits in either a Coastal Marine Ecology (CME) or Neuroscience course.

CME students spent their time in an intensive introductory course in the marine sciences, studying marine habitats such as salt marshes, barrier beaches, rocky coastlines and the open ocean. While conducting field research, they learned about various marine ecosystems while becoming familiar with laboratory, field and research skills required of any science major at UNE.

Students in the Neuroscience program learned about neuronal structure and function such as electrophysiological phenomena, neurotransmission and the synapse, and cellular structure. They performed a dissection in a lab and gained knowledge regarding neuroscience methods used in designing research projects.

While on campus, the students got to sample college life by living in a dorm and experiencing UNE’s surrounding area. The ECP group went on a whale watch off the coast of Kennebunkport, took a guided kayak tour of the Saco River, journeyed to a classic Maine boardwalk in Old Orchard Beach and explored the beauty of the Biddeford Campus.

To learn more about the College of Arts and Sciences, visit www.une.edu/cas