The objective of the proposed project is to provide encouragement for underrepresented minority high school students to consider a career in science. In addition, the program will further strengthen the existing, larger partnership between the Science and Health Education Partnership program (SEP) of the University of California (UCSF) and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). These objectives will be accomplished through provision of summer research opportunities and an on-going school year program for eight students and for two high school teachers. Each fall, students will be selected from high schools in the SFUSD and matched with mentor scientists at UCSF. During the school year, each student will meet on a regular basis with his/her mentor and prepare to engage in an on-going research project in the mentor's laboratory during the summer. Students will work for 8-10 weeks at 43% time in the laboratory and will also participate in a core program involving weekly group meetings. The core program, coordinated by the SEP High School Programs Coordinator, will provide speakers and discussions that address new developments in biomedical science, the role of science in society, ethics in science and issues that surround access to higher education and career planning. At the end of the summer, student interns will present poster descriptions of their summer's work for the other participants, the mentors and their parents. They will be encouraged to continue their contact with their mentors after returning to school in the fall. Teacher interns will participate in the school year and core summer programs with the students. In addition, they will prepare a plan for how they will use their experience in he program to enrich the appreciation of their minority students for career opportunities in science. As students continue their education after participation in the program, they will be surveyed on an annual basis and asked to assess the influence of their UCSF experience on their course of study and future career plans. Teacher participants will be surveyed annually concerning their on-going relationship with mentors and the influence of their participation on their approach to teaching.
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