We will offer two summer camps on UIUC campus in summer 2023. Camp Epsilon is designed for rising 8th through 10th graders. It will start on June 12th and end on June 16th. Camp Delta is for rising 10th through 12th graders and will run from June 26th to June 30th.
The applications for SIM Camp 2023 are closed now.
SIM Camp Epsilon
- For students starting 8th–10th grade Fall 2023, ages 12–15
- Open to students who will start algebra in the fall or have taken some algebra already
Cryptography and Cryptanalysis
Cryptography is to answer of the question: “How can you send a message without other people being able to read this but only the sender and the recipient?” Cryptanalysis is to answer of the question: “How can you read encrypted message without knowing the code and without letting the sender and the recipient know this?” SIM Camp students will practice sending messages to each other with each method.
Counting on You: An Introduction to Combinatorics
Counting…how hard can it be? During this week, campers will learn new ways to count and develop a more complex understanding of the concept. Different interesting mathematical structures will show up to teach us more ways of counting!
SIM Camp Delta
- For students starting 10th-12th grade Fall 2023, ages 15-18
- Open to students who have taken at least one year of algebra
Counting on You: An Introduction to Combinatorics
Counting…how hard can it be? During this week, campers will learn new ways to count and develop a more complex understanding of the concept. Different interesting mathematical structures will show up to teach us more ways of counting!
Number Theory and Cryptology
Number theory is the study of all things to do with the natural numbers. Being both extremely broad and quite ancient, there are many different avenues to take within number theory. This summer, we’ll dive into properties of prime numbers and explore “clock” arithmetic. With our new understanding of the natural numbers, we’ll embark on a journey into an important application of number theory: cryptology. We’ll learn about different types of ciphers, and practice encrypting, decrypting, and breaking them.
Our Team
Madie is program coordinator for Camp Epsilon and an instructor for Camp Delta. Madie is a graduate student in mathematics studying logic. Outside of math they enjoy reading, playing games, and learning to throw pottery. When Madie was a kid they learned a number of ciphers in order to send encrypted messages to their friends, and are excited to pass along this knowledge to the next generation this summer
Mina is an instructor for both camps. Mina is a graduate student in math, interested in graph theory and combinatorics. She likes to read, write, and watch movies and tv shows in her free time, and loves doing jigsaw puzzles.
Wonwoo is an instructor for Camp Epsilon and program coordinator for Camp Delta. Wonwoo a graduate student in mathematics interested in combinatorics and algebra. Outside of math, he enjoys cooking and watching movies.
Organizers
Manisha Garg is the director of the 2023 SIM Camp. She is a graduate student in mathematics interested in geometric group theory and coding theory. Outside of math, she paints and enjoys hiking and board games.
Grace McCourt is an organizer of the 2022 SIM Camp. She was the director of the 2021 SIM Camp. She was the program coordinator for Epsilon and instructor of Counting, Coloring, and Graphs for Delta in the 2020 SIM Camp. Grace is a graduate student in mathematics interested in combinatorics and graph theory. Outside of math, she enjoys cooking, crocheting, and board/card games.
Jennifer McNeilly is a faculty organizer at SIM Camp. She has been Director of the Math Merit Program for Emerging Scholars since 2001. She has won multiple teaching awards, primarily teaching courses at the precalculus level. She is also an advisor to the math majors in the secondary education program.
Susan Tolman is a faculty organizer at SIM Camp. She is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Mathematics and director of the Illinois Geometry Lab.
Vera Mikyoung Hur is a faculty organizer at SIM Camp. She is a Professor and Chair of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Department of Mathematics.
Sponsors
Support is provided by:
- Office of Public Engagement, University of Illinois for a Public Engagement Grant
- Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois
- Illinois Geometry Lab, University of Illinois
- Association for Women in Mathematics, University of Illinois
- Dolciani Mathematics Enrichment Grant , Mathematical Association of America
- National Science Foundation , Grant Number DMS-1449269
Please consider donating to the Department of Mathematics Outreach fund, which supports our Summer Illinois Math camp and other outreach initiatives. Your support helps our department fulfill Illinois’s land grant mission.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number DMS-1449269.