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Internships

Each summer, the High School Intern program places twenty SFUSD high school students in laboratories to conduct biomedical research with the guidance of a UCSF mentor.

Being a mentor is a good teaching experience for my graduate students and postdocs.

- UCSF principal investigator

We liked one of our students from the summer so much, we hired her as a lab assistant.

- UCSF mentor

Before this program I didn’t really think about college. But after working in a lab and meeting adults who went to college, it inspired me to want to get my Bachelor’s degree and work in a lab.

- SFUSD student

High School Summer Internship

One of SEP’s longest-running programs is the High School Summer Intern Program in which high school students gain authentic research experience and sustained support with the college application process. While the application process for this program is rigorous, grades and test scores are not used as gatekeepers. Instead, primary importance is placed on whether this program will make a significant difference in the lives of the high school students. In order to participate, students must attend an SFUSD high school and have just completed their junior year.

The first step in the application process is to be nominated for the program by an SFUSD high school science teacher.

The majority of high school interns do not have family members with college degrees; additionally, many of the interns are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Yet, nearly all UCSF high school interns go on to college. For the 2001 cohort, all have matriculated at a college:

  • 53% at a UC
  • 21% at a community college
  • 16% at a private university
  • 10% at a California State University

In comparison, national data for students with similar backgrounds show that only 53% would be expected to attend college. These outcomes can only be achieved with the dedicated efforts of the UCSF faculty who generously host interns in their labs, and the UCSF researchers who devote their time and skills to mentoring and inspiring them.

High School Intern Program in the News:

UCSF Summer Interns Gain Glimpse of a Scientific Future
For as long as she can remember, 17-year-old Chanelle Dorton has wanted to be a crime scene investigator. She put aside that notion, however, after she failed a few science classes and kept missing school to take care of younger siblings.


For the full story, go to the UCSF News Center

SEP High School Internship Program Feeds Pipeline of Promising Students

There’s nothing like hearing about cutting-edge research from a high school student to remind oneself that the next generation of researchers is bright and bursting with promise. A recent gathering of 20 San Francisco United School District high school juniors, who spent the summer working as interns under the tutelage of UCSF staff in labs throughout the campus, was just such an inspiring event.....

To read more, go to http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/sep-high-school-internship-program-feeds-pipeline-of-promising-students/

Program Helps Prepare Local Youth for Careers in Science

It’s a resume builder any scientist would welcome: Two months of intensive lab work at one of the world’s leading centers for biomedical research. This fall, 20 San Francisco teenagers will start their senior year of high school having done just that...

For the full story, go to http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/ucsf-offers-counseling-lab-time-to-science-minded-teens/


This program is currently funded by the UCSF Chancellor and School of Medicine, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Moore Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Baskin Family Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

 

 
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