Pre-College Leadership Institute
Friday, July 21, 2017 - Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Students will receive a certification of completion at the end of the program and will be ready to implement their project in their community. Most importantly, students in the Leadership Institute will be empowered with the leadership, communication, and project planning tools to succeed in the sciences and beyond.
During the Leadership Institute, students will participate in a range of hands-on sessions to expand their skills in multiple areas of scientific research, including:
Resume development for college applications to emphasize leadership for out-of-class projects
Creating a research agenda, including literature and peer review
Mentorship under the direction of young scientists
Leadership in STEM with real world examples
Communication, public speaking, and critical thinking skills for academic and career success
Experiments at off-site scientific laboratories
Scientific collaboration & problem-solving skills
Building a Scientific Network & project planning
The New York Academy of Sciences is collaborating with Fancy Science to welcome students from China to the Leadership Institute.
FAQ
What are the dates and times of the program?
July 21st (5pm – 7pm); July 22nd – July 25th (9am – 5pm)
Where is it held?
The New York Academy of Sciences, 250 Greenwich St/7 World Trade Center, 40th Floor, New York, NY 10007
Who is eligible to apply for the program?
High School Students who are going into either 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. The Academy is unable to provide housing or transportation but non-local students are welcome to register.
How much does the program cost?
The program costs $750. Please email kvoltaire@nyas.org for information about financial assistance.
Lunch is included in the program cost.
How do I register for the program?
Parents and/or guardians may register the student for the cohort. Upon confirmation of payment, the parent and/or guardian will receive an email from the Academy, which will go over next steps. In order to participate in the program, the following steps will need to be completed:
Parent and/or guardian signs a permission slip permitting the student to attend the program;
Parent and/or guardian provides prospective student’s email address;
Prospective student completes email, submitting a project idea to program administration.
How many students will be accepted?
Up to 60 students will be accepted for this cohort.
When will I be notified about my application?
Priority applications are due April 1, 2017. After that, applications are accepted on a rolling basis until June 30th. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
When is the deadline for applications?
Applications accepted until the program is full or June 30th, 2016.
Are housing or travel costs included in the cost?
No; students will need to cover these costs.
Is financial aid available?
Please contact Krystal Voltaire (kvoltaire@nyas.org) for more information about financial assistance.
Is there a dress code?
No, although students should aim to wear clothes that permit easy movement for activities.
Registration
Course Instructors
Course Instructors
Meghan Groome, PhD
Dr. Meghan Groome is the founding Senior Vice President of Education at the Academy, which includes a global portfolio of K-12, higher education, and public engagement programs. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on numerous National Science Foundation grants. She also served as an Education Policy Fellow for the Institute for Educational Leadership in China.
Meghan joined the Academy in July of 2010 after spending three years at the American Museum of Natural History. Previously, Meghan was a Senior Policy Analyst with the National Governors Association, where she worked on Governor Janet Napolitano's Innovation America initiative and co-authored "Building a STEM Agenda," a framework for states to improve their STEM education pipelines. She completed her PhD at Teachers College, Columbia University, and taught science in New Jersey.
Stephanie Wortel-London
Stephanie Wortel-London acts as the Director of the 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures program and oversees the development of other international, one-on-one virtual STEM mentoring programs, bolstered by rigorous online coursework that focuses on college and career readiness, as well as Soft Skills and 21st Century Skills development.
Prior to assuming this role, Stephanie served as Program Manager for the Afterschool STEM Mentoring Program in New York City and Newark, NJ for five years. Stephanie graduated magna cum laude in Astronomy-Physics at Colgate University, where she received the 1819 Award. After moving to New York City, she worked in research projects through the Astrophysics Department of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and completed the New York City Teaching Fellowship with an MSEd in Science Education from Lehman College. She is a New York State Certified Earth Science teacher. Prior to joining the Academy, Stephanie taught Earth Science in a South Bronx public school and wrote curricula for Youth Initiatives and the Space Show at AMNH.
Areas of research include quasar optical variability, stellar evolution, astrometry of brown dwarfs, and the development of science identity in groups historically under-represented in STEM through informal learning experiences. She is preparing to defend her PhD dissertation in Science Education Research at Stony Brook University's Institute for STEM Education, and serves as an Adjunct Professor for the Space Systems course in the AMNH Master of Arts in Teaching Residency graduate program.
Session Descriptions
Day 1: Friday, July 21st
Welcome and Team Building
Research Action Plan (RAP) I: Identifying a Research Project
Students learn how to identify research projects and scientific research that can improve human lives
Day 2: Saturday, July 22nd
RAP II: Developing a Research Project
Students will learn how scientists begin their research by addressing a problem or research area of choice
RAP III: RAP timelines and proposals
Creating RAP timelines and project proposals
Field Trip I
National Museum of Mathematics
Day 3: Sunday, July 23rd
Peer Review
Students peer review each other’s proposals. Students incorporate edits
Science Communication
Students learn the basics of communicating science effectively
Guest Speaker
Panel of scientists talk about their career paths
Day 4: Monday, July 24th
Intro to Leadership
Students learn how to develop leadership skills, so that they can better implement their RAPs
Field Trip II
South Street Seaport Museum Dockside Ecology Program
Critical Thinking the News
Students learn about credible sources and how to spot fake scientific news
Day 5: Tuesday, July 25th
Presentation Creation & Practice
Certificate Ceremony
Award completion certificates to participants
Presentations & Wrap-Up
Present final project proposals to NYAS staff & PCLI participants