For the first time in Ball State's and the state of Indiana's history, the university will hold a free camp for gifted students who have learning disabilities.
The camp, "Puzzles, Mysteries and Picasso" will be in Indiana for the twice exceptional students. The camp will be held from July 20 through July 25.
It's sponsored by the Ball State Department of Special Education and made possible through a grant from the Indiana Department of Education.
The state definition of a gifted student is a student who has shown "outstanding performance in academics," Dr. Tracy Cross, executive director of the Indiana Academy for Sciences, Mathematics and Humanities said.
During the camp, 14 students, all of whom attend middle schools across Indiana, will take science and art based classes.
The classes will provide a fun learning atmosphere with events such as learning how to analyze a crime scene, Nina Yssel, the camp's director said.
The camp will also hold seminars teaching the students study and organizational skills and will focus on issues such as social and emotional aspects of life, she said.
While the students are here they will stay in Ball State resident halls and be paired with other students as roommates throughout the week. All classes will be held at Burris.
Yssel believes that Ball State offers a lot of expertise in Ball State's Department of Special Education and the resources that are available make the university a great place to hold the camp.
Most students who suffer from disabilities do not enjoy many positive moments at school, so for many this will be the first time in their lives that their disabilities will be celebrated, Cross said.
Yssel, who is an associate professor of special education at Ball State, said that she has wanted to do this for a long time.
She said that the students will also participate in swimming, bowling and will visit Minnetrista's a "T. rex Named Sue" exhibit.
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