By Amy Kamosa
From identifying new Squat Lobster species through genetic analysis, to visiting construction sites to learn about the underground infrastructure necessary for a new building to be erected, Harvard staff and students found many ways to support college and career exploration with local high schoolers this spring.
Hands-on STEM experiences
As part of a local economy that is largely driven by innovation and STEM industries, the University has many long-standing programs that support and encourage teens to pursue careers in STEM and related fields.
A group of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (CRLS) students were able to join research teams and directly contribute to the work of various labs throughout the University. Participants in the Science Research Mentoring Program joined the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics to study topics ranging from wind energy to exoplanets. During their end-of-year research symposium, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui praised the collaboration between local research institutions and CRLS. "We're so lucky to collaborate with the Universities in our area. Through programs like this, our students are getting real professional experiences and know what it's like to be scientists," she stated.
The Marine Science Internship, a collaboration between CRLS biology teacher Paul McGuinness and the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard, enabled CRLS student Rebecca Bogstad to work directly with Harvard postdoctoral student Paula Rodriguez Flores in the Gonzalo Giribet Lab to identify and catalogue species of Squat Lobsters through genetic analysis. Bogstad was able to take samples of species in the museum's collection and run her own genetic analysis. "It was so cool, because I was actually discovering new things and I could see how all of the things I've learned in school can come together and fit into one project," explained Bogstad.
Staff from the Harvard Ed Portal spent the spring working with students from Brighton High School in Boston in a High School Lab Skills program. Students met with two graduate students from the department of Chemical and Cellular Biology weekly throughout the spring to learn about laboratory tools and research techniques in preparation for paid summer employment in several research labs within the department.
Workforce Development
In response to requests from educators in both Cambridge and Boston, the University also offered programming that enabled students to explore opportunities for workforce training, union membership, and other paths to career and college after high school. Earlier this spring Harvard hosted students from several local high schools, including CRLS, as part of the Construction Mentor Program (CMP). CMP students had participated in virtual sessions throughout the school year to learn about construction-related careers. They then visited the future Enterprise Research Campus in Allston and focused on the ground preparation and infrastructure planning—including sewer and electrical, needed before crews can begin construction of new commercial buildings. "After two years of Zoom, it was so much easier to understand what everyone was talking about when we saw things in person. It was hard to visualize sometimes," explained Keira White, a student from CRLS.
In May, the Harvard Ed Portal hosted a Work in Progress event for approximately 80 students from Boston Green Academy, Cambridge Rindge and Latin, and Brighton High School. The "open house" program featured representatives from various unions, tech and culinary training programs, and local community colleges. One program that students could learn about was Per Scholas, which offers no-cost, 12-15 week technology skills training programs for qualified students. "Young people are surrounded by technology on a daily basis. We want to show them that they can use a lot of the skills they already have to get high paying jobs," explained Per Scholas recruitment manager Gloria Revanch.
Harvard will continue to offer programming throughout the summer and fall semester that further supports local youth education and career exploration—from the Summer Youth Employment program that is providing paid internships for 36 teens in offices and laboratories throughout the University, to no-cost science and arts programming for Allston-Brighton elementary students through Summer Explorations, to the American Repertory Theater's Youth Action Team Program that will soon kick off the summer intensive portion of a year-long program for seven high school students focused on creative arts producing. Updates on these programs and other community initiatives can be found at https://community.harvard.edu/stories-impact.