The Stars Challenge at Monmouth University
Winter 2016 Courses
Fall 2015 Courses
Application
Photo Gallery
Students
Parents
Coding For Everyone

Fall 2015 Courses at Monmouth University
October – December, 2015

The courses that we’re offering this fall are listed below and longer descriptions follow. We’re accepting applications now. Click here for the brochure (pdf) for our Fall 2015 courses.

  • 7th and 8th Grade Girls:  Code Secrets:  Girls, Science and Coding 0010 by Mr. Roche and Mr. Hanas. 
  • 6th and 7th Grade: Explore Our Shore Like Never Before by Ms. Diana Burich.
  • 8th Grade: Explore Biotechnology by Mr. David Fusco. 
  • 7th and 8th Grade: Olympics of the Mind by Mr. John Valente.  This course is full.  If you're interested, we'll put your application on the wait list.
  • 8th and 9th Grade: The Environment and You by Mr. Marc Coe​.

Key Dates:

  • September 25 28: Applications due. We extended the application due date.
  • September 29: Notification of acceptance by email.
  • October 5: The $500 tuition is due. Please send your check to

The Stars Challenge
11 Buttonwood Lane
Rumson, NJ 07760

  • October 3rd and 5th: Classes start.

Fall 2015 Short Course Descriptions:

  • 7th and 8th Grade Girls – Code Secrets:  Girls, Science and Coding 0010. 
    • We enjoyed a fun-filled, fast-paced experience in July during our “for girls only” coding course that involved multiple aspects of computer science. We’ll definitely replicate the fun-filled aspects, but using new technology and introducing some new platforms and languages.

      During the first half of the course, new students will get "up to speed" using Hour of Code activities and veterans will experiment with the Arduino Digital Sandbox. By the second half of the course all students will be working together on MIT Scratch, HTML/CSS and MIT App Inventor projects. All students will be challenged with opportunities to creatively apply programming concepts.

      Newcomers are welcome and we'll quickly get you "up to speed" on computer science. Sorry guys ~not for you~ we're having too much fun with our "girls only" experiment!  If you're interested in coding click here for lots of on-line resources. More…

      "I never thought that I would be interested in "coding" until I took Code Secrets.  Now I'm planning on creating my own app!  What an amazing class!"  Felicia
    • Click here to see photographs from Mr. Roche's course in Fall 2014 (pdf).

    • Mr. Roche is a research advisor and biology teacher at High Technology High School. Mr. Roche earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University and an M.A. in Environmental Studies from Montclair University and is the recipient of numerous grants and awards for excellence in science teaching. More…

    • This course will be taught on Monday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at Monmouth University beginning October 5 and ending with a double class at HTHS on November 30. Fill out your on-line application here.

    • If you'd like to learn more about coding but can't attend our course, there are lots of on-line resources available.  A few of them are described here.  Enjoy!

  • 6th and 7th Grade – Explore Our Shore Like Never Before.
    • Summer may be over but you can still enjoy the beach and learn much more about it. This course provides hands-on investigations of the marine, coastal and estuarine habitats of the New Jersey shoreline. For example, have you ever wondered why waves push your surfboard forward or how rip currents form? You’ll get to know first-hand some of the unique marine life of the Jersey Shore from plankton to crabs, fish, reptiles and mollusks. You will also participate in several dissections. Classes will be held at Sandy Hook where you will participate in hands-on investigations of the park’s salt marsh, barrier beach and maritime forest environments. We will also build Aquabotz. Sound mysterious? Come join us! More…

    • Click here to see photographs from Ms. Burich's courses in  Fall 2012 (pdf), Fall 2013 (pdf), and Fall 2014 (pdf).

    • Ms. Burich is the K-12 Program Coordinator of the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium on Sandy Hook where she oversees on-site educational programs administered by over 35 field instructors to more than 16,500 children each year. In addition, she facilitates hands-on marine science and ecology programs through NJMSC’s “Oceans to Go!” series. More…

    • This course will be taught on Saturdays from 9 until Noon at Sandy Hook beginning October 3 and ending December 5. Fill out your on-line application here.

  • 8th Grade - Explore Biotechnology. 
    • Explore Biotechnology is a lab intensive course that will give participants hands-on training in the use of the most common tools and technologies in biotechnology. Students will learn and experiment with advanced, cutting-edge techniques such as DNA extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis, which scientists frequently apply to the medical and agricultural fields. A capstone investigation will allow students to determine whether or not certain foods have a genetically modified component by combining multiple techniques taught throughout the course. More...

    • Click here to see photographs from Mr. Fusco's courses in Fall 2013 (pdf) and Fall 2014 (pdf).

    • Mr. David Fusco is a biotechnology teacher at Biotechnology High School (BTHS) in Freehold, NJ. Additionally, he has served as an adjunct in the Biology department at Brookdale Community College. Selected as BTHS Teacher of the Year 2010-2011, Mr. Fusco has authored and implemented a variety of courses including Molecular & Agricultural Biotechnology, and BioBusiness. More...

    • This course will be taught on Monday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at Monmouth University beginning October 5 and ending December 7. Fill out your on-line application here.  

  • 7th and 8th Grade – Olympics Of The Mind.
    • Creativity is the name of the game in this course! With your newly made friends, you’ll use your creativity and knowledge of physical science to create solutions to design challenges. For example, one challenge will be to build a memorial tower to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of your town. You’ll need to design your tower out of a single sheet of copy paper. Winning towers typically reach heights greater then six feet! Another challenge will be to build a marble roller coaster that enables a marble to take the longest time to reach the bottom. A third challenge is pulling your 5 year old daughter up out of a well using only wind power. Will your team win the challenge? This is your opportunity to innovate – to explore. This is Olympics for the mind! More…

    • Click here to see pictures from Mr. Valente’s earlier courses in Fall 2012 (pdf), Fall 2013 (pdf) and Fall 2014 (pdf).

    • Mr. John Valente is a teacher at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST). He teaches physics with an emphasis on physical oceanography and he teaches AP physics. He is also the Vice-President of the New Jersey American Association of Physics Teachers and conducts frequent workshops for physics teachers with the goal of improving physics teaching. More…

    • This course will be taught on Monday evenings from 6:00-8:00 pm at Monmouth University beginning October 5 and ending December 7. Fill out your on-line application here.

  • 8th and 9th Grade – The Environment and You
    • In this informative and exciting class, students will learn how every aspect of their lives is dependent upon the natural world. Students will explore Whale Pond Brook on the Monmouth University campus, using waders to gather water samples and macro invertebrate samples. We will also delve into environmental problems such as pollution and global warming; problems that affect us locally and globally. We will come to appreciate how complex these problems are, both in their creation and in their solution. We will evaluate ways in which our modern society must change to ensure the future habitability of the Earth. Ultimately, students will become leaders in their families and in their communities to ensure a "greener" future for everyone. More…

    • Click here for pictures from Mr. Coe’s courses in Fall 2012 (pdf), Fall 2013 (pdf) and Fall 2014 (pdf).

    • Mr. Marc Coe, from Cedar Drive School in Colts Neck, has taught math and science for fifteen years. He was named “Teacher of the Year” in 2008. He was recognized by the New Jersey State Systemic Initiative Program for innovative use of technology in the classroom and has presented workshops at Rutgers University. Mr. Coe believes that successful science instruction involves critical thinking and problem solving using real world situations. More…

    • This course will be taught on Saturdays from 9:00 AM until Noon at Monmouth University beginning October 3 and ending December 5. Fill out your on-line application here.