STARTALK Russian Summer Day Camp
The School of Languages and Cultures is excited to host our first STARTALK Russian Summer Camp at Purdue University!
Dates: June 9 – June 20, 2025
Times: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Location: Purdue University, West Lafayette Campus (Stanley Coulter Hall, 640 Oval Drive).
This is a Day Camp/Non-Residential Camp, and the students will go home at the end of each day for the entire camp.
Grades: 9th – 16th (e.g., high school and college / university students. Note: students must be finished with 9th grade by the start of camp to be eligible)
Levels of Russian language offered: Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, Heritage Speakers
Structure: Morning sessions are dedicated to learning the Russian language, and afternoon sessions feature bilingual presentations on relevant science and engineering topics by invited speakers, e.g. professors in STEM fields at Purdue.
Application deadline: April 15, 2025
Cost: Free of charge, with snacks and lunch included each day of camp
Not provided: Transportation to and from the camp ; lodging / housing accommodations during the camp
Contact: Professor Olga Lyanda-Geller, okogan@purdue.edu
CAMP REGISTRATION LINK: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a2FPHv9kgx9rRBk
Preliminary Daily Schedule
8:45 – 9:00 Check-in
9:00 – 10:15 Russian Language Instruction (classes divided by skill level)
10:15 – 10:30 Break / Snacks
10:30 – 12:00 Russian Language Instruction
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 3:00 Guest speakers / excursions / group project work [all of these activities will incorporate further language instruction]
3:00 – 3:15 Check-out
The 2025 Russian Summer Camp at Purdue is open to high school and college students with any proficiency level, including heritage speakers of Russian.
Purdue University is an optimal venue for hosting a STARTALK Russian summer language camp, free of charge for participating high school and undergraduate college students, due to its array of relevant resources, its close connections with the local high schools, and its ongoing commitment to training the next generations of global citizens in critical languages and intercultural communication skills.
Learning from instructors of Russian with a wealth of teaching experience, including in technical Russian, as well as from STEM faculty guest speakers who incorporate Russian terms and cultural concepts into their presentations on a variety of stimulating topics, camp participants can enjoy unique, interdisciplinary learning experiences while being introduced to, or furthering their knowledge of, the Russian language.
As Purdue University is known as a “cradle of astronauts,” having graduated 27 astronauts to date including Neil Armstrong, and keeping in mind NASA’s Russian language requirement for astronauts, the STARTALK Russian language camp incorporates the engaging and popular themes of aeronautics and aviation, among other timely STEM topics such as robotics, information processing, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality. The student-centered approach and thematically organized curriculum maintain students’ interest while flexibly accommodating individual learning styles so that each participant succeeds with their learning goals.
CAMP REGISTRATION LINK: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a2FPHv9kgx9rRBk
Application deadline: April 15, 2025 (extended)