CSU-Pueblo to host summer Maestro program July 14-August 13

PUEBLO - This summer, students can experience an innovative model of instruction during a month-long residential program for which they can earn up to 12 credit hours from Colorado State University-Pueblo. CSU-Pueblo will offer the "MAESTRO" Summer Program from July 14-August 13 for a maximum of 60 students interested in earning college credit while participating in a unique, hands-on curriculum and exploring the Southwest during day-long Saturday excursions.

The cost of the 30-day program is $2700 per person, which covers room, board, tuition, books, and off-campus trips to historical sites in Southern Colorado. Students may earn General Education credits in math, English, history, and elective credits in Outdoor Pursuits as part of the program. Acceptance to CSU-Pueblo and an enrollment deposit for the fall 2016 semester at CSU-Pueblo are required prior to registering for the MAESTRO Summer Program. The priority deadline for enrollment is June 1. Financial aid may be used to cover the total cost of the program.

According to Dr. Donna Souder, executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and professor for the MAESTRO Summer Program English courses, the curriculum will employ a "one-room schoolhouse" model of instruction: three tenured faculty (in English, math, and history/Chicano studies) will work together to simultaneously offer three academic emphasis areas that will engage students in hands-on learning opportunities and regional excursions connected to the unique thematic histories and modern contexts of the Southwest. During the 30-day program, students will write argumentative essays and journal daily - all in preparation for the larger college essays to come. Additionally, students will learn and incorporate algebraic, geometric, and statistical methods in order to better understand the histories and arguments they’ll be contemplating in class.

Campus move in will occur on July 13 with mandatory program orientation sessions on July 14-15. The first all-day excursion will occur on Saturday, July 16; coursework will span July 18-August 13. Classes will run from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m., with a one-hour lunch break. These class days will include guest speakers and films, visits to museums, historical sites, and outdoor locations of natural beauty, as well as hands-on activities including, but not limited to, adobe brickmaking, work with native textiles, and other survival skill-building experiences. This program will end with a student-led and created symposium, during which students will make an argument for the importance of cross- and inter-disciplinary, hands-on learning and enrichment.

The daily schedule will be as follows:

• Mondays and Tuesdays: Journaling, Lectures, Innovative Critical Discussions, and Group Work
• Wednesday: Hands-on Creating, Films, Guest Lectures
• Thursdays and Fridays: "Connecting the Historical to the Modern"
• Saturdays: All-Day Excursions
• Sundays: Off/Tutoring and Discussion Groups Available in residence halls, as needed

For more information on the summer program, contact MAESTRO Program Coordinator, Dr. Derek Lopez, at 719-549-2535 or at derek.lopez@csupueblo.edu. Visit the Center for Teaching and Learning online in order to read more about the program, meet the summer faculty, and see more about the weekly excursions at www.csupueblo.edu/CTL.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.