Lake Tahoe Youth Science Program Looking For High School Students

Are you, or do you know, a high school student that is interested in learning more about science? Would you like to add a great experience onto your college resume while having a great time?

High school students interested in science can apply for the Youth Science Institute (YSI) program by January 10th, 2014. This afterschool program is offered on Wednesday evenings from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences in Incline Village beginning January 22nd and running through May, 2014.

UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) will be hosting the eighth annual Youth Science Institute. This 16-week program is for high school students in grades 9 through 11 who have an interest in exploring different scientific disciplines. Students will conduct different science experiments and activities including stream monitoring, fish dissection, earth science geology hikes, astrobiology, biochemistry, green building demonstrations, lake science on the UC Davis Research Vessel John Le Conte and more. The students will not only gain knowledge and skills in various scientific fields and work with scientists, but will also receive opportunities for paid internships, fulfill community service hours, and receive letters of recommendation.

One previous student wrote, “I had so many great experiences through the program and it made me enjoy science so much. I really liked science before YSI, now I love it!” Another agrees, saying, “YSI taught me a lot but left me wanting to know more than before.” This program has been a fun and rewarding experience for past students because they are able to get hands on field experience, meet and work with many different researchers, and conduct scientific experiments.

Eligible students for our 2014 program will be in grades 9, 10, and 11, return a completed application, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and have a commitment to the program. All applicants will go through an interview process and accepted students will need to pay tuition of $250. Full and partial scholarships are available for applicants who demonstrate need.

The deadline for applications is January 10, 2014. Send applications or any questions to Kylee Wilkins at knwilkins@ucdavis.edu or (775) 881-7560, ext. 7474.
Additional details and the application are available at http://terc.ucdavis.edu/education_outreach/educationprograms/youthscienceinstitute.html.