CIAN Young Scholars Programs
CIAN's research faculty are keenly aware of their important responsibility to teach the upcoming generation of engineers and scientists. To this end, many contribute their time and laboratory resources to activities designed to bring pre-college students into the university research environment. Outreach programs for high-school students vary by institution, and the following list includes programs that are co-sponsored by CIAN and made possible by CIAN's dedicated research faculty:
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Since 2007 the University of Arizona has offered Arizona Youth University (AYU), an educational summer enrichment program for students in grades 4-12. AYU partners with multiple UA departments to bring stimulating information to students who are potentially our next-generation university and industry researchers. The College of Optical Sciences is one of AYU's partners; together they make possible the Optics Summer Camp. In the summer of 2009 CIAN will offer full-tuition scholarships and stipends for students to attend the Optics Summer Camp, and CIAN faculty and students will be among the volunteers leading the optics lessons of these young scholars.
The Native American Science & Engineering Program (NASEP) is a pre-college experience designed to encourage Native American students to plan for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. In June, NASEP welcomed its first cohort of six Native American students to the UA campus. The participants, from the Sunnyside and Tucson Unified School Districts and San Miguel College Preparatory High School, will complete Pre-Calculus, Chemistry and Physics prior to their high school graduation. During the weeklong program, students began preparing for their careers by attending a UA Native American student panel, speaking with local Native American and non-Native American professionals in STEM fields, and by building their own personal desktop computer. NASEP is part of the Indigenous Alliance organized by the University of Alaska, a consortium of universities promoting achievement in STEM by Native American and Alaska Native students and has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Ak-Chin Indian Community, and the UA Office of Early Academic Outreach.
Apply for a CIAN sponsored scholarship and stipendBERKELEY
CIAN supports the Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program (SHARP) on the Berkeley campus. SHARP is an outreach program first started and organized by CIAN member Prof. Chang-Hasnain in 2007 through the Graduate Group in Nanoscale Science and Engineering. During this 4-week full-time intensive program high school students conduct hands-on scientific investigations in research labs and complete a well-defined research project. CIAN graduate students will design these research projects and serve as mentors to supervise the high school students. SHARP's goals benefit all of its participants: High-school students gain direct experience of a real research environment and learn firsthand what day-to-day life in the lab is like; Graduate students develop supervisory skills and mentoring experience; and the institution establishes a strong connection with potential recruits from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who might not otherwise have such an opportunity.
