image: Students attending the Pathways in Physical Science Summer School will have the opportunity to work with and learn from world-class researchers at Argonne, enriching their knowledge of STEM subjects and workforce applications. view more
Credit: (Image by Argonne National Laboratory/Educational Programs and Outreach.)
DOE Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists RENEW initiative funds pilot summer school to immerse college students from underrepresented groups in physical science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory annually hosts multiple internships for undergraduate students to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. This year, the lab will offer a new opportunity for underrepresented college students: a four-week Pathways in Physical Science Summer School.
The Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS) — which sits within the DOE’s Office of Science — is launching STEM pathway summer schools at national labs, under the Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative. The DOE awarded Argonne $300,000 in funding to establish a WDTS RENEW pathway summer school for undergraduate students from groups lacking full representation in science fields.
“Students succeed when they have multiple touchpoints with a potential career path to build their STEM identity and discover what they like or don’t like. Summer school is a unique opportunity for immersive exploration of physical sciences, as well as transferrable skill building for their next step — whether that is declaring an academic major or applying for an internship.” — Lindsay Buettner, Argonne’s University Student Program lead
“As scientists and engineers, we have the privilege and responsibility to invest in the next generation of scientists. This project is part of a broader effort to ensure that the STEM pipeline includes students from all backgrounds, and especially those from underrepresented minority groups,” said Argonne’s Kawtar Hafidi, associate laboratory director for Physical Sciences and Engineering. “The future of science depends on our ability to cultivate a diverse, curious and equipped generation of students, and I’m proud that we can advocate for these students and give them opportunities to pursue careers in STEM.”
Running from July 10 to Aug. 4, the Pathways in Physical Science Summer School will provide a basic science curriculum to teach students key STEM skills — while also offering professional development to prepare them for STEM internships and careers. The summer school has the goal of increasing diversity in the next generation of the STEM workforce by offering an introduction to national lab research prior to an internship.
“Students succeed when they have multiple touchpoints with a potential career path to build their STEM identity and discover what they like or don’t like,” said Lindsay Buettner, Argonne’s University Student Program lead. “Summer school is a unique opportunity for immersive exploration of physical sciences, as well as transferrable skill-building for their next step — whether that is declaring an academic major or applying for an internship.”
Argonne’s Institutional Partnerships department offers a diverse selection of programming for undergraduate students, as well as for graduate and K-12 students — one that builds and expands scientific pipelines that will support the next generation of STEM leaders.
“Our strength as a national laboratory is to lead our education efforts with world-class science,” said Argonne’s Institutional Partnership director, Meridith Bruozas. “By connecting early undergraduate students to our research, we can spark a deep interest in STEM that fuels the country’s future workforce.”
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology. The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities, and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific problems, advance America’s scientific leadership and prepare the nation for a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science.