The School of Medicine is looking for research laboratory sponsors to mentor students for the 2019 CORD Summer Science Research Internships for high school and community college students. This will be CORD’s 22st annual Summer Science Institute Summer Research Internship program; more than 460 students have had this opportunity. In the past 21 years, only 1 intern has not entered college after their senior year of high school, and among the graduates of the program, most have continued on to professional or graduate school.
Among the 2013-2018 high school Interns, 75% were minority students from Birmingham area schools and community colleges. About 40% of the Interns had ACT composite scores over 29, and the 2015-2018 interns had an average GPA in high school of 4.0 and in community college of 3.75. All of the community college interns have already (or will by 2020) entered UAB in a STEM discipline. About half of last summer’s high school interns are headed to UAB for their undergraduate training.
This year UAB will recruit about 15 top Birmingham City School 11th grade students and up to 20 area community colleges students who will enter CORD’s NSF Bridges program, Blazing to Biomedical Careers. Nearly 85% of the community college interns have matriculated into a STEM undergraduate program at UAB, and many of them are continuing their research as UAB undergraduate students. Each student will be paid a stipend for their work in the internship program, and at the end of the program, CORD will host a research poster competition with prizes including a UAB scholarship and the Ramon Dacheux Award. All Interns will be required to present.
The primary goal of this program is to prepare high school and college students to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering. This is a great opportunity to give back to the scientific community through mentorship, but it also builds grassroots appreciation and support for what UAB can do for the local community.
CORD staff will monitor the progress of these students and assist you with any challenges that may arise. The program will start with CORD training from May 30-June 1 for high school students and May 13-24 for community college students. The interns will then be in your laboratory from Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. beginning on Monday, June 3, 2019. The program will end with the SSI Closing Ceremony poster presentations on Wednesday, July 26, 2019.
The goal is to give these high school and community college students the highest caliber research experience that a world-class research facility like UAB can offer. This experience will help them successfully compete academically with students from any educational system in the country.
If you are willing to become part of the 2019 SSI mentor team, please fill out this form and return it via e-mail (jmwyss@uab.edu) or fax (934-5158). For more information, please contact J. Michael Wyss, director of the Center for Community OutReach Development at 205-934-5171.