The Alliance for Technology, Learning, and Society (ATLAS) is an innovative, campus-wide institute at the University of Colorado at Boulder. ATLAS broadens the benefits of the information age by providing multidisciplinary programs that integrate information technology with a wide variety of disciplines and people, both inside and outside the university.  By placing its greatest emphasis on areas and communities that are less commonly partnered with information technology, ATLAS provides a much-needed bridge that enables the full potential of information technology to be realized.  It does so through an emphasis on: the arts, humanities and social sciences; gender and information technology; and diversity and information technology. 

As part of its outreach activities, ATLAS is partnering with the Denver Public School System’s Computer Magnet Program (CMP) in offering an innovative K-12 summer technology program, DigitalCUrrents; the CMP houses several hundred high school students at North and Thomas Jefferson High Schools in Denver.  CMP students take 12 classes while in high school focused on Web design, 3D Animation, and software design skills.  

The DigitalCUrrents summer camp is focused on exciting middle school students about technology, increasing the possibility that they will both enroll in technology courses in the Computer Magnet while in high school, and also pursue technology disciplines in college. 

DigitalCUrrents is a three-week camp.  During the first week of camp, 8 CMP students spend the week at CU-Boulder, working with ATLAS TAM (Technology, Arts and Media) students on the design of an exciting technology project.  During the second week, the camp moves to North High, where the CMP students teach 25 middle school students the same project. For example, the 2003 summer project was the creation of a video and original sound track, using state-of-the art media tools.  The students shot their video on the downtown Denver 16th Street Mall, with a focus on attracting people to the shopping area.   At the end of camp, they copied their music video to a CD-ROM, and took it home to show their families. 

During the third week of DigitalCUrrents, the CMP students work with the CU ATLAS students to produce recruiting materials for the Computer Magnet.  These materials will be used with middle school students and their parents from across the school district to introduce them to the magnet program.

The CMP high school students are paid stipends for their work and learn, in addition to the technical skills, important leadership, teaching, and role modeling attributes. The 2006 DigitalCUrrents technology camp is now being planned for the June time period. This summer the students will again focus on digital media and computer networking skills.

Contact information
Kevin Marlatt (Computer Magnet Program)
Kevin_Marlatt@dpsk12.org
Lucy Sanders (CU ATLAS Institute)
Lucinda.Sanders@Colorado.edu