High school seniors Deianeira Caudle and Alijah Hawley have been selected to represent Washington state at the National Youth Science Camp this summer.

Caudle, of Warden High School (Warden School District), and Hawley, of Klahowya Secondary School (Central Kitsap), were selected earlier this month by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The students will attend the camp near Bartow in the eastern mountains of West Virginia, within the Monogahela National Forest, from June 27 to July 20.

Caudle focused her senior project designing and testing a radiation detector at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory to address radiation effects on humans and technology in space. She is a former participant in the Washington Aerospace Scholars Program and also an AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) tutor to sophomores at her high school enrolled in Algebra II or geometry. In her spare time she enjoys volunteering in her community, wrestling and playing soccer.

Hawley is the top academic ranking student in his senior class, which includes 11 AP classes. He is a former Washington Aerospace Scholar participant and a six-year member of the National Honor Society. He has won numerous awards over a wide variety of subjects ranging from AP chemistry to Japanese. He is deeply involved in his school community demonstrated by his team captain status in Varsity soccer and Knowledge Bowl as well as History Bowl President and Honor Society Vice President.

Established in 1963 as a part of West Virginia’s Centennial Celebration, the National Youth Science Camp is an annual summer forum in which two delegates from each state exchange ideas with leading scientists and other professionals from academic and corporate worlds.

Lectures and hands-on research projects are presented by scientists from across the United States who work on some of the most provocative topics in science today – topics such as fractal geometry, the human genome project, global climate change, the history of the universe, the fate of our rain forests and robotics.

Delegates to the NYSC are challenged to explore new areas in the biological and physical sciences, art, and music with resident staff members. Delegates also present seminars covering their own areas of research and interest.

Academics are complemented by outdoor recreation in the Monongahela National Forest. Recreation options include backpacking, caving, rock climbing, and mountain biking and kayaking.

The camp is operated by the National Youth Science Foundation. Based in Charleston, W. Va., the foundation’s mission, according to its Web site, “is to honor, sustain, and encourage youth interest and excellence in science.” The foundation is covering all the students’ expenses, including travel.

Information is available online at www.nysc.org or www.nysf.com.