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Professional Development

Scientist working in lab

The links below help the visitor access information regarding careers in science. Students can learn about summer job and research opportunities at NIEHS. In addition, students can read about and hear from environmental health scientists. Teachers can find information on professional development workshops across the country, as well as summer research opportunities at NIEHS. Scientists, particularly recent graduates, can learn about training and post-doc opportunities at NIEHS.

Booklets
Keyword Description Grade Level
Employment  Work, Learn, Discover (/health/docs/work-learn-discover.pdf) Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (2.8MB)
          9-12 12+

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Summer Programs with support from NIEHS (External Links)
Keyword Description Grade Level
Careers  Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute's Summer Institute 2005 (http://eohsi.rutgers.edu/rc/teacherdev/03.shtml) Exit NIEHS Location: Piscataway, NJ
Each July, the Resource Center offers K-12th grade educators a unique opportunity to excite their students about learning. By attending the annual Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute for Educators, teachers receive materials that help students experience science while focusing on environmental health issues relevant to their lives.
K-4 5-8 9-12     
Careers  Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory's High School Fellowships (http://www.mdibl.org/edu/highschool.shtml) Exit NIEHS Location: Salisbury Cove, ME
High school students (primarily from Maine) participate in 6 to 8 weeks of intensive, hands-on research under the guidance of scientist/mentors. Students work in the laboratory--conducting experiments, collecting data, and analyzing results, and also attend meetings and seminars.
          9-12     
Careers  Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory's Undergraduate Fellowships (http://www.mdibl.org/edu/undergrad.shtml) Exit NIEHS Location: Salisbury Cove, ME
Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory offers undergraduates two 8-10 week summer research programs that provide hands-on research training in the biological and biomedical sciences: NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates, and Maine IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence.
               12+
Careers  University of Arizona's MedStart Summer Program (http://www.ahsc.arizona.edu/multiculturalaffairs/Summer%20Programs/Med-Start/medstart.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Tucson, AZ
MedStart is a program for high school juniors with a strong interest in the health care professions. Students live in a dorm for a week in the summer, explore health careers, and attend classes on subjects such as chemistry, English and health sciences.
          9-12     
Careers  University of Arizona's PharmCamp (http://coep.pharmacy.arizona.edu/events/student_events/pharmcamp/index.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Tucson, AZ
During this free program, College of Pharmacy faculty and students give Tucson middle schoolers a look at pharmacy and toxicology through interactive exercises, labs, workshops, projects, activities, and field trips designed to teach the many aspects of environmental health and pharmacy.
     5-8          
Careers  University of Arizona's Tox-Start Summer Program (http://coep.pharmacy.arizona.edu/events/student_events/toxstart/index.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Tucson, AZ
Tox Start is the new on-campus program sponsored by the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center. The goal is to promote students' interest in environmental health research. Tox-Start is a FREE week-long academic enrichment program for any Arizona high school student interested in science or a health career. The program targets Freshmen and Sophomores. Tox-Start helps young people prepare for their future in science research or health professions by exploring toxicology and environmental health in depth.
          9-12     
Careers  University of Iowa's Environmental Health Sciences Institute for Rural Youth (http://www.ehsrc.uiowa.edu/index.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Iowa City, IA
Rising 10th graders from Iowa communities of less than 5,000 residents participate in a 1-week residential program and are exposed to cutting-edge environmental health research. After the summer experience, students are required give two presentations in their home communities on a topic of environmental health.
          9-12     
Careers  University of New Mexico's Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project Workshop (http://hsc.unm.edu/pharmacy/iehms/) Exit NIEHS Location: Las Cruces, NM
The Integrated Environmental Health Middle School Project (IEHMSP) engages students in community-based projects that empower them to make informed responsible choices about their health and environment. Please explore this website for more information.
     5-8          
Careers  University of Rochester's Science Exploration Camp (http://lifesciences.envmed.rochester.edu/summerprogs.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Rochester, NY
Students entering grades 7-9 participate in a week of science activities exploring a central theme. Programming includes hands-on laboratory experiments, field trips, data analysis, and working with other students who love science!
     5-8          
Careers  University of Rochester's Summer Science Academy (http://lifesciences.envmed.rochester.edu/summerprogs.html) Exit NIEHS Location: Rochester, NY
Students entering grades 10-12 participate in both guided and independent lab projects, bioethics discussion groups, computer applications, and problem-solving sessions. The 3-week program emphasizes topics in microbiology and molecular biology.
          9-12     
Careers  University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center's High School Program (http://cred.mdanderson.org/surp/) Exit NIEHS Location: Smithville, TX
Concurrently with its summer program for undergraduates, the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center hosts high school students for research experience. High school interns are also hosted during the school year and receive class credit in a TEA-approved program called "Scientific Research and Design." For more information, contact Joe Rodriguez, jrodriguez@sprd1.mdacc.tmc.edu, tel (512) 237-9335.
          9-12 12+
Careers  University of Texas Medical Branch's YES! Lab School (http://www.niehs.utmb.edu/coep/schools.htm#1._YES!_Youth_Environmental_Studies_Lab_School) Exit NIEHS Location: Galveston, TX
The 7-week Youth Environmental Studies (YES!) Lab School is a summer program for 50 at-risk children, grades 6-9. Students read, write, and study math and science each day, and go on one field trip each week to study the environment. For more information, contact: Pam Diamond, pdiamond@utmb.edu, tel: (409) 772-5610, 301 University Blvd., 5.104 MRB, Galveston, TX 77555.
     5-8 9-12     
Summer  Texas A&M's Science Sleuths Summer Program (http://peer.tamu.edu/sciencesleuths.shtml) Exit NIEHS
Description: Students completing 6th or 7th grade participate in a two-week camp from the Partnership for Environmental Education and Rural Health at Texas A&M University. Students read an adventure story, gathering clues about a mystery illness for which there is no known treatment and that affects people in Texas and throughout the United States every year. Students then work together to identify the mystery illness by using their science, social studies, math and language arts skills.
Participants: For Students completing 6th or 7th grade
Location: College Station, Texas, USA
     5-8          

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Summer Research
Keyword Description Grade Level
Careers  Summer Employment Opportunities (/careers/jobs/index.cfm)
          9-12 12+
Research  Summers of Discovery (/careers/research/index.cfm)
Description: Participants, who apply for and are accepted into the program, are expected to spend between 8 to 12 weeks (during May through September) working on a research project that entails exposure to the latest biochemical, molecular, and analytical techniques in that field.
Participants: For high school, college undergraduate and graduates students interested in pursuing careers in the biomedical/ biological sciences.
Location: NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA.
          9-12 12+
Training  Training and Development Opportunities at NIEHS (/careers/research/index.cfm)
Description: A variety of opportunities, summer programs and research.
Participants: For high school, college undergraduate, graduates students, predoctoral, postdoctoral, and above.
Location: Numerous locations (see individual listings).
               12+

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Workshops
Keyword Description Grade Level
Training  Baylor College of Medicine: Center for Educational Outreach (http://www.ccitonline.org/ceo/content.cfm?menu_id=77) Exit NIEHS My World and My World and Me workshops are held locally and nationally to assist teachers in using these educational materials. Baylor College of Medicine workshop participants earn CPE Approved Professional Development Hours. For information on current workshops, visit http://www.ccitonline.org/ceo/content.cfm?menu_id=77 (http://www.ccitonline.org/ceo/content.cfm?menu_id=77)Exit NIEHS
               12+
Training  Life Sciences Learning Center - Workshops (http://lifesciences.envmed.rochester.edu/teachers.html) Exit NIEHS
Description: LSLC professional development workshops are offered on a variety of topics and give educators experience with cutting-edge science technologies. These 6 hour hands-on workshops also provide teachers with innovative instructional materials that are aligned with New York State Math, Science and Technology (MST) standards, as well as National Science Education Standards.
Participants: Middle and High School Teachers
Location: Rochester, New York, USA.
     5-8 9-12 12+
Training  Texas A&M's Integrative Curriculum Workshops for Middle School Teachers (http://peer.tamu.edu/wkshop-integration.shtml) Exit NIEHS
Description: The Partnership for Environmental Education and Rural Health at Texas A&M offers an extensive series of one- and two-day, free summer workshops throughout Texas. Workshops consist of professional teacher training in technology and integration of environmental health science into science, math, English, and social studies in grades 6-8. Integrative materials include a written adventure narrative in which the characters (young teenagers) travel to different parts of the world to solve various health problems.
Participants: Workshops are offered to individual teachers or teams of 2-4 teachers from the same school representing these different subject areas.
Location: Texas, USA.
     5-8          
Training  University of Texas's Annual Environmental Health Sciences Institute for K-12 Educators (http://k12summerinstitute.mdanderson.org/home/) Exit NIEHS
Description: This free summer program offers an extensive variety of workshops for K-12 educators, pursuing the connections between health and the environment. Learn how to help students use scientific inquiry to develop an understanding of the mechanisms that affect the environment and our health. K-12 curricular materials will be featured from a network of institutions nationwide focusing on cancer, genetics, cell biology, indoor and outdoor air pollution, lead poisoning, water quality and toxicology. All workshops are facilitated by educators, scientists, and classroom teachers.
Participants: Middle and High School Teachers
Location: Austin, Texas, USA.
K-4 5-8 9-12 12+

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USA.gov Department of Health & Human Services National Institutes of Health
This page URL: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/scied/prodevelop/index.cfm
NIEHS website: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Email the Web Manager at webmanager@niehs.nih.gov
Last Reviewed: November 19, 2008