Do you need extra help in the lab? Would experience serving as a mentor help your career trajectory? How about an extra $800 for the summer? You might be perfect for the Summer Mentoring program through CU Science Discovery.
CU Science Discovery is currently recruiting mentors for its upcoming High School Summer Research Fundamentals Course and they're hoping you might be able to help. The 2-week program connects motivated high school students to STEM research opportunities at CU Boulder and the Anschutz Medical Campus. This year’s program will be virtual and runs July 12-23, 2021. High school participants go through a competitive application process and are matched with a specific research area and mentor based on their interests and past experience. Science Discovery assigns a small group of students to each mentor; students typically work ~25-30 hours per week. They also participate in an interactive Research Fundamentals seminar, taught by a PhD level scientist, where they learn about the research process, including how to navigate the scientific literature, analyze their data and compile research results into an effective scientific poster and/or presentation. The program culminates with a Virtual Research Expo on July 23, in which participants share their 5 minute research presentation with friends, colleagues and families. Essentially, the program is designed to give high school students a taste of what the research process is all about. It also provides a nice opportunity for postdocs, graduate students and other researchers to gain mentorship experience and for faculty to address Broader Impacts requirements tied to grants.
Given the pandemic, this is a new take on an ongoing program and Science Discovery is working out the details as we go. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Kat (kriddle@colorado.edu) or Meredith (meredith.tennis@cuanschutz.edu)