Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC)

PROJECT SUMMARY This renewal proposal seeks to build and strengthen an existing program for high school students to gain mentored laboratory research experience during the summer, Brain Research Apprenticeships in New York at Columbia (BRAINYAC). At the end of the current funding period, BRAINYAC will have trained and prepared 94 high school students from low-resourced neighborhoods in New York City for summer research experiences in neuroscience laboratories at Columbia University. If funded, the renewal of this program will further engage a diverse group of 100 students in rigorous and comprehensive training in authentic science practice over the next five years, and we will continue to assess and report on the long-term outcomes of a successful summer research program designed to increase diversity in the scientific workforce. The program provides a diverse group of high school students from underprivileged communities with the necessary support to develop their sense of identity and self-efficacy in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). We propose to continue recruiting students through partnerships with current youth-serving programs in the communities via an inclusive application process. We aim to increase students’ scientific knowledge, confidence, and preparation for college and careers in STEM through directed training, mentoring, and research experience with a focus on neuroscience. We will achieve this via the two main parts of the program: (1) A comprehensive training program during the spring that incorporates parental involvement, training on neuroscience content and lab skills, critical thinking and communication skills, and student-mentor matching assistance. (2) Summer laboratory experiences combined with weekly advisory sessions, training for research mentors, a final poster presentation, field trips, and opportunities to network with program alumni. We have also identified new initiatives to strengthen the program to be carried out during the renewal period. We aim to deepen our support of our participants’ career development and college applications in STEM fields through consistent near-peer mentoring that will provide personalized guidance, foster academic and professional growth, and cultivate a supportive community of individuals with shared experiences and aspirations. We will also continue to develop opportunities for program alumni to engage with current students and scientists, and participate in follow-on research. We will follow an iterative approach to the neuroscience curriculum based on student feedback, and track our success using a mixed-methods evaluation plan. We will further develop alumni engagement, building additional research, teaching, and career development opportunities for alumni. In this way, we will reinforce our participants’ intent to pursue studies or careers in STEM, which we will track before and after the program, and over time via focus groups and alumni surveys.