This program's main goal is to provide disadvantaged high school students and their teachers with structured research experiences in the biomedical sciences. For students, the goal is to enhance their knowledge of science through real-time experiences with scientific investigators. Practical activities in the laboratory, background reading, oral presentations, and written papers are all intended to broaden their understanding and knowledge of science and technology, as well as their use of language arts and mathematics; also, they will learn the social skills required for the team work of the laboratory and gain an overall sense of how the scientific enterprise is carried out in the """"""""real"""""""" world. This summer student program is intended to immerse them in the background knowledge and skills necessary for them to be able to carry out an introductory research project. Students who demonstrate interest will be encouraged to continue their research into the academic year. Those with the highest motivation will be encouraged to submit their projects to local and national scientific research competitions. The teacher program will have similar goals, will also heighten the level of their interest in science, and broaden and improve the content of their teaching with up-to-date concepts and knowledge. The goals set for the teachers' work at the Medical Center will include scientific content and will focus on the issues related to transferring the benefits derived from working with scientists into the classroom. Pedagogical and curriculum issues related to using the laboratory experience are discussed in a monthly seminar among participating teachers - towards a goal of implementation in their classrooms. The program is designed on an academic-year basis so that the laboratory learning experience can, thus, flow instantly into the classroom and benefit the students. At the conclusion of the program, each teacher will complete two brief papers of about five pages each; the first paper summarizes their scientific work in the laboratory, and the second is an implementation plan for a hands-on approach or addition of new curriculum components into their standard curriculum. Teachers will be recruited through their principals, while students will be recruited from high schools that are proximate to MSSM - which will strengthen the support of neighborhood schools and build on the potential for long-term support of students and faculty who participate in this program.
