Middle Schoolers Learn How to “Control Minds” at HTHS Splash 

On Saturday, June 14, High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ, opened its doors to a group of 69 middle school students from all across Monmouth County for a day of classes taught by High Tech upperclassmen. Also in attendance were Eric Mannes, Corinn Herrick, and Amy Estersohn, the directors of MIT Splash 2013.

Advertised as an academic outreach event, HTHS Splash derives its name from the annual Splash! programs run by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which provided the inspiration for this spin-off event run entirely “by students, for students” and specifically catered to a middle school audience.

Throughout the day, sixth through eighth grade students engaged in classes such as “How to Dominate a Room: A Public Speaking Workshop,” “How to Make Your Friends Sad with Photoshop,” or “Mind Control: A Look into the Field of Optogenetics,” all taught by students with years of experience in their chosen discipline. One middle school student said, “I absolutely loved it! I broadened my horizons by taking Creative Writing and Sushi-making.  It was unlike any school experience I’ve ever had and I had a ton of fun!”

Currently ranked the #2 STEM high school in the nation by the U.S. News and World Report, High Technology High School is constantly looking for ways to reach out to the community.

“We’re just a group of students who are passionate about educating the next generation and sharing our ideas with other enthusiastic learners,” said High Tech senior and co-founder Sarah Lin. “Splash allowed us to do that. It started with this crazy idea that I proposed to a few friends, and then we made it happen.”

The high school students’ mission in organizing this event was to share this love of learning with their middle school peers and inspire them to also pursue their creative and ambitious ideas.