Yale Center for Excellence in Genome Science
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Program Description
Overview
The Minority Action Plan (MAP) program sponsored by the Yale Center for Excellence in Genome Sciences has elements in K-12 education and in undergraduate and graduate research programs. The goal is to expose students to concepts, courses and research activities that will interest and excite them to pursue a career in research science and genomics in particular. The two anchoring programs are STARS and S.C.H.O.L.A.R. with other K-12 activities being developed and interspersed throughout the year. Students are largely underrepresented minorities in the sciences from the New Haven community for K-12. STARS students come from a variety places as Yale undergraduate recruits.
The STARS Program
The STARS (Science, Technology and Research Scholars) Program provides first year students through seniors with an integrated experience in research, course-based study and development of mentorship skills. STARS identifies and supports traditionally underrepresented students, including racial/ethnic minorities, women and physically challenged students, in any of Yale's natural sciences and engineering majors.
Since its inception in 1995, STARS has been providing academic enrichment and research opportunities for first year students and sophomores. The program has now expanded to include juniors and seniors in STARS II and to increase the number of STARS I summer fellows. More than 100 students each year participate in the academic year and summer STARS programs.
STARS I is composed of two major components: a term-time program and a summer program. The core of the STARS I academic year program is a series of study group workshops that mirror the first and second year courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science. Faculty advisors and a graduate student from each department supervise the workshops. Each workshop also has an undergraduate facilitator who has previously taken the same course; undergraduate facilitators receive training and a stipend to support the development of mentorship skills. During the summer, STARS I provides support for participation of first and second year students in research in the laboratory of a Yale faculty member.
The STARS II program provides an intensive research experience for juniors and seniors. During the academic year, STARS II scholars receive a stipend to support up to 10 hours a week of research in the laboratory of a faculty mentor. In the summer, the program provides stipend support for students to continue their research for eight weeks. Each spring, STARS II scholars present their research to student and faculty STARS program participants at the STARS II Symposium.
STARS students enjoy a number of structured enrichment activities during term-time. Special dinners bring together scientists in various disciplines from Yale and other schools, graduate and medical school panels provide guidance in career development, and scholars are encouraged to attend national and regional science conferences.
The STARS Program is made possible through the generous support of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Pharmaceuticals. For further information about the STARS Program, please contact the Program Directors: Dean Rosalinda Garcia (E-mail), or at (203) 432-2913, or Dr. Kenneth Nelson (E-mail), or at (203) 432-5013.
The S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Program
- Small Study Groups
- Chemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Research Experience
- Pre-Med. Mentors
- S.A.T. Preparation
- College Counseling
- Field Trips
- Athletics
The Yale University S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Program is a three-week summer science residential program for Hill Regional Career High School students entering grades 10 through 12. Sixty-five students stay Sunday through Thursday on the Yale University campus and study in Yale's libraries and laboratories.
In 1996 Hill Regional Career High School and Yale University's Schools of Medicine and Nursing signed an educational partnership. The partnership recognized the University's leading role in life science research and is a natural extension of Yale's own educational mission. It pledged to make the resources of the University available to the faculty and students of the High School.
Over the years faculty members from New Haven High Schools and Yale University have worked together to revise and realign the science courses, create new course offerings and internships, and design and implement S.C.H.O.L.A.R.
The participating high school sophomores are introduced to genetics and developmental cell biology concepts, while juniors, many of whom are at Yale for their second summer, study chemistry using Yale's new 250-gallon salt-water tank. Seniors perfect their laboratory skills in the morning and work on college applications each afternoon. Students work in small study groups of seven students per teacher.
Faculty from Yale University and the New Haven Public Schools jointly staff the program. All courses use Problem Based Learning (PBL) instructional methods. Program activities include:
For further information about The S.C.H.O.L.A.R. Program contact:
- Yale University School of Medicine Office of Multicultural Affairs: (203) 785-7515
- Yale University Office of New Haven and State Affairs: (203) 432-4098
Graduate and Undergraduate students may apply for a job in S.C.H.O.L.A.R.
CEGS K-12 Outreach
Student and Teacher Programs
Throughout the year CEGS sponsors many tours, lab activities, and faculty and staff visits to New Haven Schools to expose students of all ages to research concepts and information about genomics and other sciences.
Teacher Programs
CEGS has recently established teacher workshops focused on areas of genomics and proteomics research. We offer one weekend workshop each semester and a weeklong workshop in summers. Teachers get exposed to faculty research at Yale, interact with Yale personnel to improve curriculum content, and carry out labs that they can take back to their students. In light of this, CEGS has allowed us to establish a set of loaner lab equipment that will aid schools with limited resources in carrying out labs that otherwise would not be available to them.
Research and Mentoring Opportunities
CEGS is now affiliated with some programs on the Yale campus that provide a continuum of science activities after school. This brings students to the CEGS facilities on a consistent basis. With CEGS support, high school juniors and seniors will be able to take part in research that is going on in faculty labs. This module is under development now and will start summer 2007 with S.C.H.O.L.A.R students and then be part of an after school program throughout the school year. This module will also integrate with the teacher workshops. The goal is to get students prepared for college and to interest them in research careers. Contact: nancy.kerk@yale.edu
Evolutions
Evolutions, sponsored by the Yale Peabody Museum, is an after school program for students from the New Haven Schools who are interested in science, serious about school, and headed to college. At present, students are involved in a variety of career exploration activities. CEGS will be offering the additional opportunity for these students to get involved in an on-going research project in sponsoring faculty labs. The goal of this program is to get students competitive for college, explore careers, and now to have the chance to get involved in a hands-on research project.Youth Together
Youth Together is a mentoring/tutoring program that pairs Yale undergrads with participating New Haven Wilbur Cross junior and senior students. This year's theme has been "thinking about the future." Other units on college admissions, essay writing, and career profiles have been offered in this program that has run through Yale for almost 50 years now. Through tours of CEGS facilities and the chance to get involved in a research project in a lab, students can get excited about exploring careers in research.Minorities in Medicine Movement (MMM)
This is a new program spearheaded by Yale minority premed students. It is also a mentoring program for New Haven high school students with commitment. CEGS has helped to get this started and will work with teams to exposes them to medicine and research careers. Workshops, presentations, panel discussions, field trips and hands-on research experience through CEGS labs give students a focus and continual mentoring throughout the year in after school activities.
Helpful Links
- Yale University [yale.edu]
- Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology [mcdb.yale.edu]
- Yale Center for Excellence in Genome Sciences [bioinfo.mbb.yale.edu]
Last Reviewed: August 7, 2012