The Minority Initiative Program seeks to impact on the quality of pre- college education in biology and related fields in the New York City area, teach high school students and teachers about the nature and content of scientific research, and encourage more women and under- represented minorities to enter the biomedical profession. The Program's student component will give 11 high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to undertake paid summer internships conducting research in a laboratory setting, and experience that does much to convey the excitement and challenges of science today. To enhance high school teacher preparation and awareness, the teacher component will offer 3 participating high school biology and chemistry teachers and 2 pre-service teachers two summers of paid research experience, with year-round practical and intellectual support for their classroom activities. Program participants will do original research in the biomedical sciences and related fields: cell biology and regulation, genetics, immunology, neuroscience and structural biology and chemistry. As a result of being mentored one-on-one with a graduate student of faculty member, high school students and teachers will learn the techniques and methods of critical inquiry that the scientist uses each day in the laboratory.
