Opportunities For High School Students Research Articles

Mentoring Matters When Growing Your Own Educators

The journey to establish the Future Educator Pathway (FEP), formerly known as Project Teacher Development, has been a long yet gratifying one. My colleagues and my students have been instrumental in helping to design a pathway for middle school and high school students of color to pursue a career in education. The whole process began with the Color of Teaching Mentoring Program (CoT) established in 2007 and now includes the CoT, Side-by-Side (SBS) in-school seminars for high school students, a Future Educator Academy (FEA), which is a summer residential college experience, and an opportunity for high school students to take up to four dual enrollment courses to jump start their college careers. The mentoring components of the FEP are the most crucial as they establish effective mentor-mentee relationships to foster a sense of belonging on a college campus, encourage exploration of careers in education, support mentees’ goal achievement, and endeavor to diversify the educator workforce. This paper describes the development and impact of the FEP on recruiting and retaining students of color to pursue a career in education. Findings indicate that mentees who participate in at least two of the four FEP programs persist toward their goal at a higher rate, and mentors report growth in their understanding of the importance of being culturally responsive mentors and educators demonstrating the reciprocal nature of mentoring.

Abstract 004: Summary of MT2020+ Research Internship Progress from 2021 to 2023

Introduction Mission Thrombectomy, established in 2016 by the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology, aims to enhance global accessibility to mechanical thrombectomy surgery for strokes caused by large vessel occlusion in the brain. High school students interested in exposure to global health have limited access to get exposure in this rapidly expanding area of public health. The MT2020+ student internship was designed in collaboration with MT2020+ to provide such an experience to US High School students. Students designed and carried out projects to raise stroke awareness among other high school students and communities while studying the barriers to stroke treatment. We report on this novel internship program's methodology, results, and outcomes. Methods The MT2020+ internship program followed a comprehensive framework. Three phases were implemented: Phase A involved secondary research, stakeholder identification, and the formation of a detailed survey and interview questions. Stakeholders included neurologists, neuro‐interventionalists, neuro‐radiologists, and members of stroke societies. Countries in the region of interest were categorized into three groups based on stroke and COVID‐19 data. A survey template was created in Phase B, and stakeholders were contacted for data collection. Interviews were conducted to delve deeper into survey responses. Phase C focused on analyzing the collected data, articulating the key barriers, and generating a written report. Interns also developed interventions to address key barriers identified during the research. Results The first cohort (2020) comprised 8 interns who investigated barriers to stroke treatment across different regions. The interns received survey responses and conducted interviews with stakeholders. Their research covered the U.S. & North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The outcomes varied, with different levels of engagement. One student developed an app in Peru to address transportation, educational, and rehabilitation barriers. The second cohort (2021) had 2 interns who focused on Latin America and Asia, working on rehabilitation apps. The third cohort (2022) included 4 interns studying Asia, Australia/New Zealand, North America/US, and Latin America. Their interventions ranged from creating stroke awareness clubs to organizing virtual conferences. Conclusion The MT2020+ student internship provided a novel opportunity for high school students to get exposure to global health implementation. The student research in this internship has contributed valuable insights into stroke treatment barriers and raised awareness among high school students worldwide.

0112 Acute Sleep Restriction and Circadian Misalignment Impairs Attention in High School Students

Abstract Introduction We examined the impact of acute sleep restriction and circadian misalignment on reaction times in adolescents. Methods Adolescents (n=38, 21 girls) aged 14.1-18.0 years completed a 14-day protocol. On days 1-7, participants slept at home on individualized 10-h sleep/dark schedules. On days 8-14, they lived in the laboratory. On day 8, Dim Light Melatonin Onset (DLMO) was measured. On Days 9-13, sleep opportunity was restricted to 8.5h (n=9), 7h (n=12), or 5.5h (n=8). A fourth group was not sleep restricted a had a 10-h sleep opportunity (control; n=9). On days 11-13, sleep/dark gradually shifted earlier with morning bright light to advance circadian rhythms. Final DLMO was measured on day 14. Participants completed simple reaction time tasks on days 5 (baseline), 11 (after 2 sleep restriction (SR) nights = post-SR), and 13 (after 2 shifted sleep/dark nights = post-shift). Testing began 2.5h, 5.5h, 8.5h, and 11.5h after wake. Daily difference from baseline scores for post-SR lapses, median reaction time (MedRT), mean 1/RT (responses/sec), fastest 10% RT (F10), and slowest 10% 1/RT (S10) were compared between sleep opportunity groups. Final temperature minimum (Tmin) was estimated post-hoc (Final DLMO+7h). Tmin 2-4h before wake defined an aligned subgroup (N=16) and Tmin after wake defined a misaligned subgroup (N=10). Post-SR scores (day 11) were subtracted from post-shift scores (day 13) at corresponding times relative to wake. Aligned and misaligned subgroups were compared to determine the of impact circadian misalignment. Results Lapses [F(3,34)=3.8,p=.02] and MedRT [F(3,34=3.3,p=.03] increased from baseline in a SR-dose-dependent manner. Lapses and MedRT increased more with 7hSR (lapsesΔ=19.4±9.1; MedRTΔ=80.7±51.4 msec) and 5.5hSR (lapsesΔ=25.8±18.6; MedRTΔ=99.5±74.6 msec) compared to Control (lapsesΔ=5.4±4.8; MedRTΔ=20.8±21.7 msec). Mean 1/RT, F10, and S10 showed similar trends (p’s≤0.1). MedRT slowed [t(24)=2.24,p=0.04] and response rate decreased (Mean 1/RT: t(24)=2.06,p=.05; S10: t(24)=2.16,p=.04) in the misaligned compared to the aligned group 2.5h after wake. Conclusion Attention decrements occurred when sleep was restricted to 5.5h or 7h, the latter being a typical sleep opportunity for high school students. Circadian misalignment also contributed to decrements in morning attention, which has major implications for safety during the school commute and academics. Support (if any) R01 HL146772 (Crowley)

Collaborative partnership: helping adolescents to develop a STEM mindset

PurposeStudies have shown that science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers remain to be one of the areas where there is considerable job growth (Lacey & Wright, 2009; National Science Board, 2010; Singh et al., 2002). However, in many rural regions, science teachers still find it challenging to motivate adolescents to develop an interest in these fields or pursue opportunities in STEM at their schools or in their communities. In exploring a distinctive way to motivate students from rural regions to develop and maintain a STEM mindset, the authors provided students opportunities to participate in programs within their communities to increase their interests in STEM. The authentic STEM learning experiences, “at no cost” for the high school students, helped them focus on cognitive and social abilities as they engaged in experiences developing identities as pre-STEM professionals. This paper reports on how the authors were able to develop research through the support of the professional development system at the university.Design/methodology/approachThe authors explored the experiences of the high school students and parents as they engaged in the Science Olympiad events, community volunteering and mentoring projects over three years in the southeastern United States. A total of 50 high school students participated from the Science Olympiad team from ethnic backgrounds: Hispanic/Latino Americans (55%), African Americans (10%) and White Americans/Caucasians (35%) participated. The high school students and parents were asked to participate by completing required permissions and also completing pre- and post-surveys to help understand their reasons for participating in the activities. At the end of the semester, an interview was conducted with participants to better understand their experiences with working on the team and their STEM perspectives. Parents and guardians of the high school students were also asked to share their thoughts about their children participating in these activities through indirect conversations. The school partnership teacher, also Science Olympiad co-coach, invited high school students to participate in additional STEM activities throughout the school year through the university partnership.FindingsThe pre- and post-survey responses provided insight to researchers about the “lived experiences” of the students as they developed a STEM mindset. Analysis of data indicates students’ interests in STEM and working with youth increased as a result of the STEM opportunities. To help in increasing their interests, additional opportunities are needed for these youth to engage in STEM tasks and mentoring. The professional development system (PDS) creates the space for these opportunities to take place, leading to new knowledge for learning and “boundary-spanning roles” for school-university faculty to discover and experiment new ideas that “transcend institutional settings” (National Association for Professional Development Schools, 2021).Research limitations/implicationsAdditional research is needed in helping high school students develop a STEM mindset as they participate in volunteer STEM experiences. The survey tools should be revised to address the specific STEM activities that the students participate in during the year. In addition to feedback from the youth and parents using focus group interviews or other defined survey instruments.Practical implicationsThe school-university partners continue to explore the successes and challenges of the collaborative effort. Disruptions in the collaborative effort such as school closures due to severe weather and the pandemic have resulted in cancellations of STEM opportunities for high school students. Despite challenges, this collaborative effort continues with an additional focus on STEM learning.Social implicationsSuggested research may involve investigating parental involvement strategies that increase the likelihood of actual high school student attendance during out-of-school time activities, such as community STEM fairs, competitions and summer STEM camps. Use of focus group interviews provided students setting to talk freely.Originality/valueThrough a new initiative established by the PDS at the university, “PDS Master Teachers,” the school-university faculty were invited to participate and engage in purposeful, intentional professional learning and leading to enhance the quality of the experiences for teacher candidates (Professional Development System, Watson College of Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2022). This innovative program inspired the school-university faculty to reflect on practice and create new approaches to expand STEM learning in the school and community. Through this collaborative effort, the following National Association for Professional Development Schools (NAPDS) Nine Essentials were addressed: Essential 2: Clinical Preparation; Essential 3: Professional Learning and Leading; Essential 4: Reflection and Innovation; Essential 5: Research and Results; and Essential 8: Boundary-Spanning Roles (National Association for Professional Development Schools, 2021). The University’s PDS comprehensive approach to professional learning and its dedication to providing a space for all to engage in reflective practices for professional growth provided the required support for this project.

The aesthetic effects of a new lesson design approach: Mathematical stories

Research suggests that high school students often have negative experiences with mathematics. To address this challenge, this paper shares findings of a design-based research project in which researchers and teachers developed and used a narrative approach to lesson planning in order to design lesson experiences that provide opportunities for high school students to become captivated with mathematical content (“CMLs”). The goal of this approach is to provide students positive aesthetic opportunities, such as inspiring student curiosity, while maintaining cognitive demand and coherence. Overall, students reported more positive, varied aesthetic experiences (e.g., suspense, surprise) in CMLs than in other lessons with the same teacher and students. These findings provide evidence that designing lessons as mathematical stories shows promise and can offer students more positive aesthetic experiences in mathematics.

ASTRONOMY FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS: DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAREER EXPLORATION LAB

For students with visual impairments (VI), the possibility of a future in astronomy, or any science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field, seems daunting. In order to bolster astronomy and STEM opportunities for high school students with VI in the United States, we developed the STEM Career Exploration Lab (CEL). Our STEM CEL methodology employs tactile astronomy instruction via 3D printing technologies and unique 3D-printed models, professionals with VI acting as role models, and partnerships with local STEM industries that provide insights into possible career paths. In partnership with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) and the Michigan Bureau of Services for Blind Persons (MBSBP), to date we have held four weeklong CELs (June 2017, June & July 2018, August 2019) and a 3D printer build workshop (September 2018), thus far serving about fifty students with VI. We have also held one professional development workshop for teachers of the visually impaired at the Maryland School for the Blind in October 2021. We gathered pre- and post-intervention data via student surveys, assessments of students' astronomy knowledge, and video recordings of the CEL activities in order to study to what extent the CEL model can enhance the students' attitudes towards, interests in, and capacities to participate in astronomy and STEM careers. Once fully tested and refined, we will make our 3D model files and activities freely available for further use and study. This work serves as a testbed for an expanded CEL program aimed at helping increase the representation of persons with VI in astronomy and STEM fields. This work is supported by a generous Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) grant from the National Science Foundation.

Summer Opportunity for high school students

Summer Opportunity for high school students

Exploring Extracurricular Clubs for Building Social Competence of Students With Autism.

Individuals with autism experience challenges in social communication that directly impacts in-school and post-school performance. A growing number of these students are taught in general education settings in public high schools, where creating opportunities for practice of social communication skills is frequently a challenge. This exploratory, mixed methods pilot investigation explores existing and potential opportunities for high school students with autism to practice 21st century skills, including communication, in extracurricular club environments. Findings indicate that extracurricular club settings are rich environments in which all participating students, including those with autism, have opportunities to practice critical 21st century skills in a context related to their interests.

My Industry to Academia Research Journey And Energizing Innovations Among Malaysian Engineers

In this talk, the author would like to share her research journey from industry to academia, first in Malaysia and then in United States. She was fortunate to receive a strong science & mathematical education in Malaysia, trained as an engineer at University of Malaya, worked with a team of talented R&D engineers at Motorola Communication Sectors Sdn Bhd in Penang before she went to United States for graduate studies. In United States, again she was fortunate to have several mentors who helped to inspire her to conduct great research first in industry and then in academia. She will first share her research journal from Malaysia to United States. Next, based on her experience, she will share some main ingredients one needs to cultivate to conduct great research, e.g., curiosity, diligence, and perseverance. Subsequently, she will also share her thoughts on how industry leaders, academic leaders and Malaysian government can collaborate to energize innovations among Malaysian engineers as well as young generations aspiring to be our next generation engineers. Cultivating curiosity in STEM fields at young age, providing opportunities for high school students to appreciate science through solving real life problems with college students, and creating opportunities for faculty members in STEM fields to spend sabbatical semesters at top universities or industry R&D laboratories to horn their skills are necessary steps to energize innovations among Malaysian engineers.

The Future Ready Lab: Maintaining Students’ Access to Internships during Times of Crisis

In this manuscript, we highlight the virtual Future Ready Lab as one example of an innovative internship concept designed to increase the quantity of meaningful paid internship experiences available for students to participate in, prepare for further education, and be able to compete in the 21st Century workforce. The Lab’s premise is to provide access to student populations (e.g., economically disadvantaged, Black, and Latinx students) who oftentimes are not afforded the opportunity to hone their 21st Century skills in a high-impact internship experience. The virtual nature of the Future Ready Labs provided opportunities for high school students to participate, despite transportation limitations, social distancing, emerging safety precautions, and requirements based on the COVID-19 pandemic. In this manuscript, we help fill gaps in existing literature concerning how schools support students’ work-based learning experiences during times of crisis, particularly for diverse and economically disadvantaged learners. We conclude with recommendations for practice, and a broader work-based learning framework for how partnerships can be forged and sustained in high schools across the nation, as well as implications for educational policy, practice, and research.

Reflections on Experiences at a Residential Science and Math High School: An Alumni Survey

Residential Science High Schools (RSHS) for academically talented students that focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) provide opportunities for high school students to accelerate their education. This study examines the results of a retrospective survey from one RSHS, including alumni for more than 20 years after graduation. The results indicate that the alumni have high levels of educational attainment and careers in STEM fields. In addition, the alumni perceive their experiences at the RSHS to have been positive, and that the RSHS prepared them for their educational pursuits, careers, social experiences, and future leadership positions. Finally, although the alumni did report a drop in academic self-concept while they were in the program, this drop did not appear to have an effect on their long-term goals or educational attainment. The implications for this study are to support the use of radical acceleration in the form of residential schools for an educational intervention for academically talented high school students.

Research Opportunities for High School Students at the Ocean Research College Academy

At the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), undergraduate research (UR) starts when students are in their third year of high school. As part of a dual credit/enrollment program in Washington state, students earn an associate of arts and science degree when they graduate from high school. With 17 years of data and more than 500 graduates who have compelling matriculation rates and baccalaureate degree attainment, ORCA provides a model for program and course-based UR replicable by others.

Adapting a Neural Engineering Summer Camp for High School Students to a Fully Online Experience.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting health and safety concerns caused the cancellation of many engineering education opportunities for high school students. To expose high school students to the field of neural engineering and encourage them to pursue academic pathways in biomedical engineering, the Center for Neurotechnology (CNT) at the University of Washington converted an in-person summer camp to a fully online program (Virtual REACH Program, VRP) offering both synchronous and asynchronous resources. The VRP is a five-day online program that focuses on a different daily theme (neuroscience, brain-computer interfaces, electrical stimulation, neuroethics, career/academic pathways). Each day, the VRP starts with a live videoconference meeting (lecture and interactive discussion) with a CNT faculty member. The online lectures are supported by at-home learning resources (e.g., text, videos, activities, quizzes) embedded within a digital book created using the Pressbook platform. An online bulletin board (Padlet) is also used by students to share artifacts and build community. Program evaluation will be conducted by an external evaluator. A summative survey will collect information on participants’ experiences in the VRP and will help inform future iterations of the program. Although significant time was required to create a digital book, the VRP will reach a larger audience than the prior in-person program and resulted in the creation of learning tools that can be used in the future.

The experiences of active participation in academic conferences for high school science students

ABSTRACT Background: A diverse range of opportunities for high school students to undertake Independent Research Projects (IRPs) in science and this is a beneficial aspect of high school science provision. In Higher Education, the importance of students undertaking research as part of their learning, including presenting at authentic, academic conferences, is increasingly recognised. Purpose: To date, research has little considered the experiences of high school students who present their scientific research at conferences, to audiences of academics and peers, and this study seeks to contribute to understanding in this area. Sample: Twenty seven high school science students from four state-maintained schools. Design and methods: This qualitative research incorporates the ‘Students as Partners’ (SaP) approach. SaP is present in the ways in which teachers and students worked in research and in contributing to authentic conferences. SaP is also reflected in the composition of the author team of this article; the first author worked for the organisation that delivered the conferences, the second author was a school student who participated in a focus group, having previously presented her research at one of these conferences, and the third author is based in a higher education institution. Student experiences were shared through five focus groups held at the students’ schools and thematic analysis was used to explore these experiences. Results: High school students benefit from the opportunity to present their research at academic conferences, but they need support and guidance in the pre-conference and post-conference phases as well as at the conference to gain the most from the experience. Conclusion: Future research must consider the ways in which students from under-represented groups can be supported to view IRPs and presenting research at conferences as opportunities that are open to them if these opportunities are to be genuinely open to all students.

Community-Engaged Learning and Precollege Philosophy During Neoliberalism

Precollege philosophy programs provide young people with alternative spaces to ask questions and develop critical perspectives on their experiences, but neoliberal school management practices make the creation of these spaces increasingly difficult. Relying on my own experience as an instructor of a community-engaged course that focuses on precollege philosophy, I investigate how college and university professors and students can create philosophical learning opportunities for high school students without participating in the culture of volunteerism demanded by neoliberal logic. I argue that the work my university students perform in the community-engaged course is a win-win that undermines neoliberalism’s assault on education by providing high school students with a valuable opportunity while helping my students achieve important skills.

Beyond Perceptions: A School–Community Partnership Focusing on Homelessness

The PurposeThe Beyond Perceptions collaborative visual art project provided opportunities for high school students to engage with homeless individuals through partnerships with people and organizat...

From high school to hospital: how early exposure to healthcare affects adolescent career ideas.

Exposure to various healthcare fields is crucial to the development of career interests for adolescents and young adults who plan to enter the world of medical practice. Globally, the number of opportunities for high school students to participate in research and clinical shadowing (direct observation of medical or paramedical practice) are limited.1 Recently however, many university programs and community hospitals in the United States and around the world have initiated interest programs for such students, allowing them to see, first-hand, the daily lives of health professionals. With the advent of specialized high school volunteering programs within hospitals and medical centers, teenage interest in pursuing a medical education has increased.2 Volunteering activities and adolescent development In general, volunteering at a young age has shown to improve educational pursuits, and to boost a student’s moral consideration.3 Involvement in organized activities, particularly in interpersonal settings correlates with “positive development” in the classroom and at home.3 Participation in any volunteering program helps an adolescent learn responsibility and empathy, alongside relationship-building and community connection.3 For the many students who consider entering the healthcare field, early exposure to careers and professionals that collaborate to treat patients is vital to a well-rounded education. As such, student involvement in hospital-organized programs is encouraged for anyone interested in medicine.

Developing new pathways into the biomedical informatics field: the AMIA High School Scholars Program.

Increasing access to biomedical informatics experiences is a significant need as the field continues to face workforce challenges. Looking beyond traditional medical school and graduate school pathways into the field is crucial for expanding the number of individuals and increasing diversity in the field. This case report provides an overview of the development and initial implementation of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) High School Scholars Program. Initiated in 2014, the program's primary goal was to provide dissemination opportunities for high school students engaged in biomedical informatics research. We discuss success factors including strong cross-institutional, cross-organizational collaboration and the high quality of high school student submissions to the program. The challenges encountered, especially around working with minors and communicating program expectations clearly, are also discussed. Finally, we present the path forward for the continued evolution of the AMIA High School Scholars Program.

Nutritional Science Research Internships—Let’s Do This!

One way to explore being a nutrition scientist and to acquire skills in nutritional science research is through a nutritional science research internship. These types of internships can be invaluable learning and networking opportunities for high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, dietetic interns, postdoctoral fellows, or others exploring a new career path or a deeper understanding of research or another nutritional science research sector. Given the interdisciplinary nature of nutritional sciences, these types of opportunities can be pursued by students and professionals studying and working in a range of disciplines such as, but not limited to, agricultural, animal sciences, anthropology, behavioral economics, biochemistry, environmental sciences, kinesiology, law and policy, molecular biology, pathophysiology, physiology, psychology, regional and urban planning, sociology, and soil sciences. This article provides tips on how to effectively seek out, apply to, and hopefully successfully obtain an internship relevant to nutritional science research. We also put forth recommendations on how to make the most of this important step in your development as a budding nutrition and health professional!

Emerging Early College Models for Traditionally Underserved Students

Emerging early college models are providing opportunities for high school students to accrue college credits and experience themselves as successful college students. The states of Michigan and New York are at the forefront of state‐level efforts to offer early college models to a wider range of high school students. This chapter features early college models and describes the variety of programmatic designs and student experiences.