The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium will initiate a ten-week, commuter, multidisciplinary, Young Scholars project for 15 students in grade 12. The Louisiana Stimulus for Excellence in Research (LaSER) is a program to increase the competitiveness of academic research in science and engineering in Louisiana. It has established a Young Scholars Mentoring Program in which high school students with exceptional aptitude and accomplishment in science and mathematics are placed in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with active researchers. The program initially focuses on the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, which draws exceptional students from throughout the State, with the aim of eventually expanding the program to other gifted and magnet schools throughout the State. Follow-up activities include visits by the research mentors to the Louisiana School, as well as close tracking of graduates of the program.
