Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- Area high school students will have the opportunity this summer to experience a forensic camp at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville that will take them on a hands-on journey from crime scene to courtroom. The forensic camp will run from July 20 through 25, giving students a week to explore crime scene investigation, evidence analysis and the justice system. The program is aimed at introducing 24 high school students to potential career options in criminal justice, chemistry and political science. The students in the camp will be guided through a mock crime scene and use skills of reasoning, deduction, evidence collecting, and labeling. Students will be challenged to think about the nature and cause of a crime. Participants will then take the evidence that has been gathered and analyze it using several pieces of equipment in the chemistry department.

Participants will then have the opportunity to follow through with the case to the end by learning about the justice system. There will be a mock trial the last day to conclude the camp. The participants and their parents will have a chance to see how their investigative and scientific work will impact the trial. "The Crime Scene to Courtroom camp will be a fun way to learn how 'law and order' really works. We'll investigate a crime and argue the case in court playing the roles of the people who really do the work," John Rink, UWP political science professor, said.

The camp is for freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors who will be entering high school in the fall of 2008. It will begin on July 20 at 3 p.m. and end on July 25 at noon. Due to the hands-on approach of the camp, access to equipment and much needed attention to detail, participation will be limited to the first 24 registered and paid participants "Over the past years, many television shows have tried to create an illusion of what our criminal and justice systems are like.

The popularity of shows like Shark, Law and Order and CSI have influenced students when pursuing careers. These shows do not depict the real world and how things get done. This camp will give participants a realistic view of criminal and justice systems and encourage them to pursue careers in the field with realistic expectations," Kerie Wedige, UWP Office of Continuing Education, said. The regular fee to attend the camp is $375. This includes instruction, materials, housing, meals and a T-shirt. The commuter fee is $300, which includes instruction, materials, some meals and a T-shirt. June 27 is the registration deadline for the Forensic Camp. For more information on the Forensic Camp, contact Wedige at (608) 342-1313 or wedigek@uwplatt.edu. General and registration information on the camp is also available online at www.uwplatt.edu/cont_ed.

Contact: Kerie Wedige, UWP Office of Continuing Education, (608) 342-1313, wedigek@uwplatt.edu Written by: Anne Killian, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, killiana@uwplatt.edu