It [being 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 Internships
One of SEP’s longest-running programs is the High School Summer Internship 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.
High School Internship Program in the News:
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 Howard Hughes Medical Institute.