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Young Scientist Program (YSP)
| The Young Scientist Program (YSP) is a science education outreach program that targets the St. Louis city public middle and high schools. The program was conceived and developed in 1991 by a group of Washington University School of Medicine graduate and medical students who were interested in providing high school students and teachers with access to hands-on scientific activities not normally available in the traditional high school curriculum. YSP has grown to encompass five programs, all of which are designed and directed by student and postdoctoral volunteers from both campuses of Washington University. |  |
1. | The Teaching Teams bring exciting exploratory science directly to the high school classroom. In this program, volunteer groups teach modules in anatomy, chemistry, evolution, genetics, microbiology and neuroscience. The lesson plans include demonstrations and experiments, making student involvement key. |
2. | The Summer Focus program brings 12 high school rising seniors to the medical center for a paid eight-week summer research internship. In addition to participating in a research project, the students attend a weekly seminar series, a journal club and a weekly tour of a clinical department in the hospital system. |
3. | Similar to the Summer Focus Program, the Summer Research and Curriculum Enrichment Program provides middle and high school science teachers with a summer research internship. The primary focus of this program is to help the participating teachers develop and implement new curricula emphasizing experimental/inquiry-based science in their classrooms. |
4. | As technology is becoming a more integral part of high school teaching, the YSP maintains a web-based program called the Saint Louis Science Education Network. A highlight of this program is the Mad Scientist Network, an innovative “ask a scientist” web site that receives millions of hits a month. |
5. | Finally, as many public high schools don’t have adequate resources to facilitate laboratory science, the YSP has instituted a Recycling Program through which old lab equipment is donated to YSP. The donated equipment is passed on to middle/high schools along with curriculum suggestions for its use. |
For more information:
Jennifer Mosher, Coordinator
Young Scientist Program
Campus Box 8226
660 S. Euclid Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63110-1010
(314) 362-4841
(314) 362-3369 (Fax)
Email: mosherj@msnotes.wustl.edu
http://medicine.wustl.edu/ysp
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