Be a Part of the ATDP Story

Students, alumni, and families, if you have valued your ATDP experience, please consider this chance to share your story and give back to our community. Parents and teachers, feel free to recommend the following opportunities to your children and students!

As a small staff with deep roots in the program, we adore hearing stories about how ATDP has touched the lives of our students, parents, teachers, and alumni. ATDP is about academics, but the community is kept alive by the people involved. You are the reason we love what we do! Thanks for being part of our story.

Help Advocate for Families in Need by Sharing Your ATDP Experience

ATDP'S  CASE  FOR  SUPPORT

ATDP is collecting ED and SD student and family stories to create a "Case for Support" that will be shared with school districts, corporations, nonprofits, and universities. Our goal is to generate funds to help finance ATDP attendance for students who would not otherwise be able to afford it.

To participate, choose four of the prompts below and e-mail your responses to atdpoffice@berkeley.edu. We're looking for about 3-5 sentences per prompt, but if you have more to share, we'd love to read it!

• Describe your history with ATDP. Which classes did you take?
• Why did you enroll at ATDP?
• Why do (or did) you look forward to ATDP summers?
• What is one of your favorite ATDP memories?
• What made your ATDP teacher great? What did the teacher say or do?
• What did your classmates add to your ATDP experience?
• How did ATDP help you prepare for career or college?
• What was the importance of financial aid for you? For other students?

Advise and Inspire Incoming Students

SECONDARY  DIVISION  STUDENT  SPEAKERS

Hearing students speak is one of the highlights of our annual Secondary Division Welcome & Orientation event in June. We look for students who have made the most of their ATDP experience by excelling academically, engaging with their peers and instructors, and taking advantage of educational opportunities.

If you'd like to be considered, submit a 300-600 word "preview" of what you'd like to say to your fellow ATDP students! (Feel free to include sidenotes or summative descriptions; you need not compose a complete speech ... yet!)

Who can be a speaker?
Returning SD students, TAs, and alumni are eligible to apply. Speakers must also be available to attend both Secondary Division Orientation sessions on the morning of Sunday, June 8, 2014 (9:00 - 12:30).

How and when can I submit my ideas?
E-mail your submission as an attached Word document to atdpoffice@berkeley.edu by April 7, 2014.

How will speakers be chosen?
Speakers will be chosen based on their submissions and their academic and ATDP history. We are also looking for unique or varied perspectives from a broad range of interests and backgrounds.

TIP:  Be yourself and be sincere! The purpose of these speeches is not to "sell" the program or to catalogue a speaker's accomplishments. Past speakers have shared their own ATDP experiences, talked about what ignites their passion and motivation, and given advice to incoming ATDP students.

Lead and Collaborate in the Classroom

SECONDARY  DIVISION  TEACHING  ASSISTANTS

The TA program helps to fortify ATDP's academic community by providing support for instructors and enrolled students and by creating leadership opportunities for the TAs themselves.

Who are ATDP TAs and what do they do? 
Teachers’ assistants in the Secondary Division are advanced returning students who demonstrate strong community involvement and academic leadership. Most are in high school or entering college, and many are concurrently enrolled as students in ATDP courses.

TAs assist course instructors on academic tasks such as scoring quizzes and tests, lab prep work, and individual and/or small-group tutoring. TAs may also be asked to take attendance, do photocopying, relay messages (by cell phone, e-mail or in person) to the ATDP office, and the like.

Why TA? 
A teaching assistantship at ATDP is an opportunity to work closely with one of our expert instructors and to act as a role model for other students. The TA program is a great way to strengthen one’s academic network, deepen content knowledge, and gain professional experience. It makes a wonderful addition to any student’s college application or resumé.

As volunteers, TAs are eligible to receive community service credit for their work at ATDP. Returning TAs may choose to earn a small stipend instead.

How are TAs selected?
Prospective TAs complete an application form which asks about their academic knowledge, teaching experience, and skills. Interested students and alumni may apply using this online form.