The Student Research Apprenticeship Program (SRAP) is a paid summer research program at the University of Wyoming for high school students in tenth through twelfth grade. It is sponsored by Wyoming EPSCoR and funded by the National Science Foundation. This is the last of eleven stories about the laboratories where this year’s SRAP students are working.
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| SRAP 2012 students dressed up for the etiquette dinner. |
The fall
semester is right around the corner for the University of Wyoming and the
adventures of summer are coming to an end. The Student Research ApprenticeshipProgram (SRAP) ended weeks ago now and the students have returned to their
hometowns, some to finish high school and others to begin college life. As the
students gear up for another school year, they bring with them the invaluable experiences
they gained over the summer. These experiences would not have been possible had
it not been for their extraordinary mentors.
“This
program would not thrive without the support and dedication of the mentors,”
SRAP Coordinator Lisa Abeyta said. “These mentors are sharing their wealth of
knowledge with high school students.”
SRAP mentors
shared their knowledge with their SRAP student, but also contributed to the
students’ senses of independence, achievement and success. Mentors were not
only responsible for designing projects for their students, but also for teaching
them the basics of writing scientific papers, showing them the techniques of
their labs and introducing them to the details of their research. Their role as
mentors required them to look at their research in a different way and to find
a way to blend together their expansive realm of scientific research with the
world of their SRAP students. Coming into university science labs with little
or no background could end negatively for all parties involved, but through the
care and dedication of the mentors, the SRAP students learned they could
succeed in their endeavors. This is a lesson that will carry the students
through the rest of their high school years and on into college.
“SRAP is a great program to introduce high school student into college life,” Lisa said. “This program not only allows students to gain experience in the lab, but also to gain a sense of independence.”
“SRAP is a great program to introduce high school student into college life,” Lisa said. “This program not only allows students to gain experience in the lab, but also to gain a sense of independence.”
This year’s
SRAP has come to a successful end on both the part of the students and the part
of the mentors. While every student and mentor played an instrumental role in
making this year a success, not everyone was featured in this blog series due
to conflicting schedules. Their involvement in the program however brought
wonderful energy and enthusiasm to the program. Wyoming EPSCoR looks forward to
next year’s SRAP and to the great projects the mentors have to design. Thank
you to our wonderful mentors!
By Kali S. McCrackin
Photo courtesy of Lisa Abeyta
By Kali S. McCrackin
Photo courtesy of Lisa Abeyta
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