Special Academic Opportunities

Highly motivated students have the opportunity to participate in College for Kids, sponsored by UW- Madison School of Education. We select one qualified student in fifth grade to partake in this exciting learning experience. The program strives to develop, nurture, and challenge the gifts and talents of young students. The goals of the program are to:

(1) acquaint students with four UW-Madison programs of study through prepared demonstrations, tours, and workshops;
(2) increase student motivation and interest in academics;
(3) expose students to a broad range of academic areas;
(4) develop higher-level thinking, creative problem solving strategies, and questioning skills. 

Students develop a positive self-concept as they come to understand their giftedness through interaction with peers.

E-STEAM is an Español, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math after school program for first through third grade students. The focus is on enriching and broadening the students' Spanish speaking and comprehension skills through games, art, experiments, and more.

Students in grades four and five can participate in our Global Inventors course. In this after-school class, they learn about 3D printing and how to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software to create and print designs.

 Students exchange video messages with a partner student who lives in a developing country. Together these student teams identify and learn about a global issue, and then collaboratively design, print, and test inventions to help solve that issue. Participants learn the engineering design process and basic electrical engineering while also learning about their partner student and that student’s country.

We offer programming and video game design to students in grades four and five. Students create games using a video camera sensor and their own drawings. They learn Scratch, how to remix what others have done, and how to hack. Along with a student partner in a developing country, participants learn literacy, math, logic, presentation skills, and global citizenship.

Students in grades four through eight may participate in the entertaining and challenging test of geographic knowledge sponsored by the National Geographic Bee. The contest encourages teachers to include geography in their classrooms, sparks student interest in the subject, and increases public awareness about geography. Students take a written test to qualify to represent the school at the state level. State qualifiers compete in an oral competition with the winners going on to compete for scholarships at National Geographic headquarters.

Academically talented students in grades three through nine may participate in Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search (NUMATS). The program utilizes the Explore test for grades three through six and the well-known ACT and SAT tests used for college admissions for students in grades six through nine. After testing, students and parents are provided information about specialized curricula, enrichment programs, camps, and accelerated courses of study.

We nominate Edgewood Campus School students based on the results of their Iowa Test of Basic Skills administered each fall. Parents may also recommend their child.

Science Olympiad is one of the premier science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards-based challenges to more than 7,300 teams in 50 states. Science Olympiad's ever-changing line-up of events in all STEM disciplines exposes students to practicing scientists and career choices and energizes classroom teachers with a dynamic content experience. At Edgewood, we field a team for students in grades six through eight. During the year, students work to master three to four STEM challenge areas, then compete in events built around those challenge areas at the regional and state levels. This group provides students with a terrific opportunity to drill deep into an area of passion and fascination in all areas of science and engineering.

Science Olympiad Jr. is an after-school science and engineering club for students in grades four and five. Each week we investigate, experiment, design, build, and test. Some semesters we concentrate on a theme such as rockets, and other semesters we try something new each week. Our goal is to give participants fun, interesting, intriguing, challenging, and motivating experiences with science and engineering. Together we learn, create, and share. Edgewood College elementary education majors work with Edgewood’s K-16 science director to plan and conduct the weekly activities.

We invite students in grades four through eight to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Students will improve their spelling, increase their vocabulary, and develop correct English usage that will help them in all areas of life. Our classroom winners compete in the school bee, and our winner goes on to the city competition. Winners continue to advance to the state and finally to the national competition held in Washington, D.C.

Technovation’s mission is to inspire and educate girls and women to solve real-world problems through technology.

Students work in teams to develop mobile app “startups” to solve real problems in their communities. Technovation coaches (teachers, parents, or community members) and mentors (women professionals in technology or business) lead the teams as they compete for a part of $20,000 in awards. Edgewood Campus School’s team is comprised of interested middle school girls. Lynn Koresh, our technology director, coaches the team.