This program is designed to 1) provide a hand-on research experience for talented minority high school students, 2) provide a framework for encouraging these students to examine possible careers in the health sciences as practitioners or researchers, 3) provide an opportunity for minority teachers or teachers in schools with a significant minority population to learn discovery-based curriculum design. The program meets these goals by providing five significant features: 1) The backbone of the program is a full time (38 hr/wk) eight week apprenticeship in the laboratories of recognized and funded researchers (called lab mentors) in the health sciences. The lab mentors have been carefully chosen because of their excellent research and commitment to precollege education. 2) In the remaining two hours per week, participants will gather on Friday afternoons to (a) share experiences, (b) attend seminars health-related topics of special interest to them, and (c) discuss their readings from Stephen Covey's book, SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE. 3) About midway through the program there will be a Career Day focusing on the HOW of choosing career goals. It will include presentations by successful minority scientists and opportunities for students to """"""""rap"""""""" with these scientists in small round- table discussions. 4) The program builds momentum during the remaining weeks as they prepare to present their research in the colloquium on the last day. Facilities are available for computer-generated graphics, slidemaking, and model-building. Personnel are available for consultation in these areas. The lab mentors will discuss presentation strategies with their mentees. Teachers will present an overview of their newly designed curricula. The day will conclude with an awards luncheon to which parents and lab mentors are invited. 5) Followup of students and teachers will be done by (a) visitation to their schools by the PI and various lab mentors, and (b) solicitations of information as contributions to a periodic participants newsletter.
