Since the High School Intern Program (HIP) began in 1989, nearly 250 students from San Francisco's public schools have spent their summers conducting scientific research under the direction of a University of California, San Francisco scientist mentor while simultaneously learning how to maneuver the critical and difficult transition from high school to college. Since 2001, 158 students have participated in HIP; 47% of these students are from underrepresented minority backgrounds (i.e., African American, Hispanic, or American Indian/Alaska Native), 68% are women, and 74% come from families where neither parent has graduated from a two- or four-year college. Through HIP, students become comfortable working in a laboratory environment, begin to conduct experiments independently, learn to present scientific research in oral and written formats, and, critically, begin to see the opportunities available to them should they continue their education. A longitudinal survey of alumni from the 2000-2003 program years found that 76% of the respondents had completed undergraduate degrees in the sciences and 87% were pursuing education beyond a bachelor's degree.
