All Scouts participating in FIT need to attend this session

Finding Independent Track (FIT)

(July 3rd - July 17th of 2020; see below for starting times of tracks and related information)

About the Program

FIT “Finding Independent Track” is a new innovative program by UCSF in collaboration with the Golden Gate Area Council designed for high school seniors who are seeking an intellectually challenging summer program.  This three week program spends the first week covering general required topics including statistics, public speaking, and scholarship; the second week, will focus on instructor subject presentations for the track selected; and the third week will connect all the subjects together and apply an interdisciplinary approach to solve various problems and present solutions in a written report as well an oral presentation to the group.

FIT provides a college flavor of a Finding Independent Track for you. In this intellectually rigorous interdisciplinary program, overarching problems will be solved through real-life case studies. Solutions will be developed using a) contextualization, b) critical thinking and c) student-teacher interactive approaches. These approaches are indicators of Socratic pedagogy, and will encourage learning at individual and group levels within the following tracks:

• Data Sciences (S Srirangapatanam, P Ustriyana, M Stoller, S Ho) – Statistics, Programming, Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Environmental Science; Track directors: S. Srirangapatanam, S. Ho
• Earth Sciences (M Kang, B McGurk, P Ustriyana, C Tsuyuki, R Raffel, S Ho) – Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Soil and Water Conservation, Nature, Geology, Chemistry; Track directors: P Ustriyana, M Kang
• Health Sciences (S Srirangapatanam, P Ustriyana, A Riley, M Stoller, D Bikle, S Ho) – Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Nutrition, Physical Fitness; Track directors: S Srirangapatanam, S. Ho
• Political Sciences (C Wikler, F Starn, P Shimotake, J Libby) – American Business, American Cultures, American Heritage, American Labor, Law, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World; Track directors: C Wikler, P Shimotake

Program Cost:  $450

Application Process: A student can apply up to two tracks. Combinations can be one major track only (or) two major tracks (or) one major track and one minor track. Upon evaluation of a submitted application, the scout will be informed following which, the scout will start the program by attending prerequisite sessions (July 3rd – July 5th) transitioning into the chosen tracks (July 6 –17).

Scholarships may be available on a needs basis.  Applications can be found HERE

FIT program dates: July 3rd through July 17th of 2020. Instructors in this program are professionals from various disciplines including medicine, dentistry, and business. As such, the tracks are scheduled to start at the end of the day. Some tracks will start from 4 PM and others from 5 PM. A detailed class schedule will be available soon.

Details about each track and respective class schedule will be posted on the website soon.

NOTE: The main thrust of the program is to demonstrate critical thinking and problem solving. This program is not designed to earn merit badges only, and is designed to also earn FIT award.

Prerequisites sessions: All tracks will require literature review and survey of data. As such, a prerequisite to participate in this program includes: Statistics. Additional prerequisites include Public Speaking, Scholarship, and Reading. These prerequisites are mandatory.

Timeline for prerequisites: All prerequisites will be offered from July 3rd through July 5th; Time will be announced soon. A schedule for classes will be sent following successful registration and acceptance into the program.

Eligibility: Ages 16-18 and be a junior and senior. Must attend all sessions – no excuses. If you cannot make it to any one of the sessions including the prerequisite sessions, please do not apply.

FIT Award: The program is divided into two phases; Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Phase 1 will assume the Socratic pedagogical approach, specifically contextualization and critical thinking. Contextualization will demand application of fundamental subjects (pre-requisite merit badges topics) to solve current problems. Critical thinking will enable students to see the whole picture as a basis for understanding the parts. At the end of Phase 1, summer of 2020, the student would have learned conceptually about their chosen track(s).

Phase 2 of the FIT program will follow an experiential approach through practice of concepts taught in Phase 1. Phase 2 is not necessary to receive the FIT award. However, the scout is highly encouraged to participate in Phase 2 as it is designed to reinforce the concepts learned in Phase 1.

• Data Sciences (S Srirangapatanam, P Ustriyana, M Stoller, S Ho) – Statistics, Programming, Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Environmental Science; Track directors: S. Srirangapatanam, S. Ho
• Earth Sciences (M Kang, B McGurk, P Ustriyana, C Tsuyuki, R Raffel, S Ho) – Environmental Sciences, Sustainability, Soil and Water Conservation, Nature, Geology, Chemistry; Track directors: P Ustriyana, M Kang
• Health Sciences (S Srirangapatanam, P Ustriyana, A Riley, M Stoller, D Bikle, S Ho) – Medicine, Dentistry, Public Health, Nutrition, Physical Fitness; Track directors: S Srirangapatanam, S. Ho
• Political Sciences (C Wikler, F Starn, P Shimotake, J Libby) – American Business, American Cultures, American Heritage, American Labor, Law, Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World; Track directors: C Wikler, P Shimotake

All four tracks will solve current problems using the following four steps:

1. Organize facts/knowledge
2. Identify patterns by graphing, modeling and articulating data, and make inferences
3. Gather insightful information to explain cause and effect relationships, and
4. Build explanatory and predictive models

First week of the program, on day 1, the track director will introduce the student to all subjects and instructor for each subject within a track. The track director also will provide the student with current problems to consider and solve during the program in collaboration with the instructors and peers within a track. Instructor of a subject will provide students with 4-5 clear take home points. The student will apply take home points provided by the instructors to solve current problems. In addition to in-class discussions on case studies, the instructors will assign literature elaborating the take home points. The student will review literature prior to attending the program the following day. In-class dialogue between the student, the instructor and the track director will be a routine process throughout the program.

Second week of the program, the student will write a report on their learnings by applying the take home points to solve problems presented on day 1 of first week. The last two days of second week will be oral presentations and debates on the solutions to current problems. Audience will include, peers and instructors in the FIT program, as well as invited guests, parents included.

Major and Minor Tracks and Expectations: At the end of each program, the student will provide a written and an oral report on a solution(s) for a current problem within a track(s). A student can pick up to two tracks. Combinations can be one-major only (or) two-majors (or) one-major and one-minor.   Deliverables for a major track are a written report and an oral presentation on solutions to current problems. Deliverables for a minor track will be a written report on a solution to current problems within a minor track.

Contact Information:

Sunita Ho
FIT Program Coordinator and Instructor
ho.sunita@gmail.com
925-917-0703

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