8th and 9th Grade Students Encouraged to BLAST Off Program immerses young people in STEM

Attention current eighth and ninth grade students – if you are interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Old Dominion University (ODU) has an incredible opportunity for you! Applications are being accepted until February 8 for the Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) program. BLAST participants will head to ODU for three days during the summer to be immersed in the college campus experience while participating in STEM activities and demonstrations led by university faculty. BLAST will ignite each student’s curiosity, provide insight on careers and opportunities in STEM, and prepare young people for advanced STEM classes and programs. BLAST is free for students who are selected to participate; transportation to and from the university is the responsibility of each family. To qualify, young people must currently be in the eighth or ninth grade, have a C+ average or better, and be interested in STEM. Students must submit their application by February 8; required supporting documents (teacher recommendation and counselor verification form) are due February 10.  To apply, visit the BLAST application page. Before beginning the application, students must register in the system. Simply click the “New User Registration” button in the grey box and submit the necessary information. You will receive an emailed password and can then return to the application page to complete the application. The application page also contains a sample application and examples of the required supporting documents. The program is a partnership between ODU, the Virginia Space Grant Consortium, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and the Commonwealth of Virginia. For more information and to view videos from past sessions, visit the BLAST websitePlease note that program photos and videos were pre-COVID, so participants are not pictured wearing masks or social distancing.