2022 Virtual Summer Enrichment curriculum for high school students and recent high school graduates outside the NIH
We invite you to join us online this summer, beginning the week of June 6th. All events/activities are free AND VIRTUAL.
We have worked with Institutes and Centers (ICs) and Training Offices across the NIH to develop a summer-long series of activities. These online offerings will focus on the exciting science we do at the NIH and on important career and professional development topics for students at all educational levels. You can choose to participate in career development series for high school or college, graduate, and professional school students; series on preparation for graduate or professional school; wellness activities; and/or a scientific skills series. We encourage you to look at all the program offerings and identify events that will help you achieve your scientific and career goals.
The 2022 Summer Handbook is now HERE!
The 2022 High School Summer Enrichment Curriculum includes multiple elements designed for high school students and recent high school graduates. We have collected them on this page to help you visualize the high school program as a whole. They are
- A career development series tailored for high school students that will take place on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:30pm, ET;
- Other activities high school students and recent graduates might find of interest:
- The “Becoming a Resilient Scientist” series on Mondays in July (The first workshop will be held on Tuesday, July 5th.)
- The "In Their Own Words" series on Fridays
- The Summer Lecture Series
- Resources
After you read this page, be certain to check out the broader 2022 NIH Virtual Summer Enrichment CALENDAR to ensure that you don't miss anything else that might interest you. NOTE: Events for high school students are marked HS; events for students in college, graduate, and professional School are indicated by ADV (for "advanced").
American Sign Language interpreting services, CART services, and other reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Individuals who need interpreting services and/or other reasonable accommodations to participate in this event, should contact OITE-EventServices@od.nih.gov or the NIH Interpreting Office directly, via email, at nih@ainterpreting.com. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance, when possible, in order to ensure interpreter availability.
TUESDAYS: NIH CAREER DEVELOPMENT SERIES FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS and recent high school graduates
This series of workshops addresses topics of particular relevance to high school students and recent high school graduates. The goal is to help you develop skills that will serve you well regardless of what career you ultimately decide to pursue. Students who attend at least four workshops (or watch the recordings BY AUGUST 14th) will be eligible to receive a certificate of completion. Be certain to register for the workshops, even if you will have to miss one or two. We will send a link to the session recording to all who register.
The five workshops in the series are:
- Applying to College
- Leadership: Self-awareness and Relationships with Others
- Career Exploration
- Effective Communication in Research Environments
- Success in College
Workshop Descriptions:
- Applying to College (Tuesday, June 28, 2022; 3:00 -4:30 pm)
As you start thinking about applying to college, you will want to figure out how to make your applications—and yourself—stand out. Learn about how to plan for and succeed in the application process. We will discuss how to choose and apply to college, find scholarships, write personal statements, and prepare a college interview. Register here. - Leadership: Self-Awareness and Relationships with Others (Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 3:00 – 4:30 pm)
We each bring our unique personalities and work styles to the classroom, lab, workplace, and home. Understanding your style and appreciating that others have different styles can enhance your interactions and help you succeed. This workshop will explore differences in personalities and work styles that impact the way we communicate, take in information, make decisions, engage in conflict, learn, and plan our day. The workshop will include group activities and hands-on experiences related to working successfully in educational and research team environments. Register here. - Career Exploration (Tuesday, July 19, 2022; 3:00 – 4:30 pm)
As you move on from high school to college you will face many choices, including what career path to take. Picking a career that fits your skills, interests, and values is an important part of long-term job satisfaction. We will discuss career options in the sciences and how to choose a career that suits you. Register here. Register here. - Effective Communication in Research Environments (Tuesday, July 26, 2022; 3:00 -4:30 pm)
Good communication is a key success factor in science and all careers. The workshop will cover both written (such as effective email requesting internships, classes, and informational interviews) and verbal (elevator talks) forms of communication. Register here. - Success in College (Tuesday, August 2, 2022; 3:00 – 4:30 pm)
The transition to college can be stressful. You are leaving behind your school, friends, family, and home, and going off to explore a new place, make new friends, learn new things, and set your own priorities. This workshop will provide you with skills for time management, study skills, finding mentors, and using resources. Register here.
All workshops will be available as recordings on the OITE YouTube Channel after they have been captioned. (NOTE: In cases where the workshop was presented in essentially the same form in 2020 or 2021, that recording may be available instead of a 2022 recording.)
Other activities high school students and recent graduates might find of interest:
MONDAYS: Becoming a Resilient Scientist Series for High School Students (July 5 - July 25, 10:00 am – 12:15 pm; note that July 5th is a Tuesday)
A series of workshops and group discussions on Becoming a Resilient Scientist Series (4 weeks), which will cover wellness, imposter fears, assertiveness, and feedback.
Unit 1: Introduction to Wellness and Resilience (Tuesday, July 5, 2022; 10:00 am – 12:15 pm)
We all experience setback and disappointments in school, work and life. In this webinar we will look at seven key elements of resilience with a focus on building habits that promote healthier responses and resilient behaviors in the face of set-back in educational and work environments. Register here.
Unit 2: Exploring Our Self-Talk: Cognitive Distortions and Imposter Fears-Part 1 (Monday, July 11, 2022; 10:00 am – 12:15 pm)
We tell ourselves stories about what is happening to us and around us. In this webinar we will explore how our self-talk is generated and look at ways our self-talk can either help us be more resilient or how it can hurt us and hold us back. We will look at two important elements of our self-talk, cognitive distortions and imposter fears and explore ways to recognize internal messages and input from others that distorts our views of our abilities and accomplishments. Register here.
Unit 3: Exploring Our Self-Talk: Cognitive Distortions and Imposter Fears-Part 2 (Monday, July 18, 2022; 10:00 am – 12:15 pm)
Register here.
Unit 4: Self-advocacy, Assertiveness, and Feedback Resilience (Monday, July 25, 2022; 10:00 am – 12:15 pm)
We all need to learn to be assertive and to advocate for ourselves, especially in hierarchical environments where we sometimes feel we do not have a voice. In this webinar, we will discuss how to set boundaries, communicate expectations, ask for feedback, and discuss difficult issues with friends, mentors, colleagues, and supervisors. We need feedback to grow and learn but we often become defensive and are unable to learn from the feedback we receive, even if it is delivered well. We will explore ways to stay calm and engaged when receiving feedback and to give feedback in a calm and assertive way so that we can be heard. Register here.
FRIDAYS: In Their Own Words: The NIH Experiences and Career Paths of Prior and Current NIH Trainees on Fridays (details coming soon)
In this series, past and current NIH summer interns and postbacs from disadvantaged backgrounds and groups underrepresented in the sciences will talk about their research and share insights into what it's like to work at the NIH. They will also discuss their educational and career journeys, including their paths to the NIH and the challenges they faced along the way.
2022 Summer Lecture Series:
June 24, 2022
A Conversation with Dr. Larry Tabak
Lawrence A. Tabak, DDS/PhD
Acting Director, National Institutes of Health
2:00-3:00 pm (ET); Register
July 5, 2022
A Conversation with Dr. Janine Clayton
Janine Clayton, MD
Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health, NIH
Director, NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health
1:00-2:00 pm (ET); Register
July 14, 2022
A Conversation with Dr. Tony Fauci
Anthony S. Fauci, MD
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH
Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States
11:00-11:45 am (ET); Register
Resources
YouTube Playlist for Young Scientists
This resource includes videos on
- reading a scientific paper,
- keeping a lab notebook,
- attending your first scientific meeting, and
- getting comfortable with lab math
Wellness Resources
We do our best work when we feel well and feel good about ourselves.
Wellness Resources
We do our best work when we feel well and feel good about ourselves.
