High school students explore research through HYRS and new InSRA summer programs

trevor.kenney — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 21:24:29 +0000

It’s a model proven to be successful, leading the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge to expand its annual High School Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) program and add a complementary cohort for 2022 — the Indigenous Summer Research Academy (InSRA).

The HYRS initiative, now in its fifth iteration, is a summer research program for students who have just completed Grade 11. Offered at the Universities of Lethbridge, Calgary and Alberta, it provides students with a stipend of $3,000 over six weeks and the opportunity to work on multidisciplinary, hands-on research projects in fields such as genetics, neuroscience, bioengineering, molecular imaging, recreational therapy, health-care policy and more.

“To see this program expanding and involving more students is outstanding,” says Zaynab Enayetullah, a third-year public health student, program coordinator and HYRS graduate from 2018. “The new InSRA program is distinct from HYRS but also complementary and the students will be doing many of the same activities and have access to the same guest speakers. Adding InSRA is about creating opportunities for Indigenous students specifically and providing pathways to post-secondary studies.”

Students are required to apply to the program, provide references and write an essay on their areas of interest. Once accepted, they are matched with faculty mentors participating in the program. A total of 10 students have been accepted to HYRS for 2022, with two students debuting the new InSRA program.

“In my experience, high school youth participating in the HYRS program are full of curiosity and are open to learning. If directed properly, we can attract students to STEM fields and open their eyes to the wonders of nature and provide the tools and experience necessary to be successful at research,” says Dr. Borries Demeler, Canada 150 Research Chair for Biophysics and director of the Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics at ULethbridge. “I enjoy being able to help a student open the door to research and science and help them on their way to a successful post-secondary career.”

Demeler came to ULethbridge from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Texas (San Antonio) where he participated in a similar program, which also had a focus on underserved minority populations. InSRA, funded by the MasterCard Foundation and EleV, looks to create similar opportunities.

“Many of the high school students I worked with in San Antonio ended up with publications in scientific journals and prestigious scholarships to attend some of the finest colleges in the U.S. and abroad,” says Demeler, who will be participating in HYRS for the second time. “Opening the doors for students to such opportunities is highly valuable to them, and deeply satisfactory to us who helped them. The HYRS and InSRA programs are crucial steppingstones along this path.”

This year’s program runs from July 8 to August 19, with a final poster presentation of the students’ work to be held August 18.

High school students gain exposure to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research programs through HYRS initiative

trevor.kenney — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 17:02:06 +0000

Second-year public health student Zaynab Enayetullah knows first-hand the value of the annual Heritage Youth Researcher Summer (HYRS) program. As COVID restrictions continue to lift, a hybrid HYRS model will once again allow a select group of area high school students in-person access to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge faculty members and facilities when the program kicks off July 9.

A total of eight students will take part in this year’s program, beginning July 9.

“We’re so happy to be able to offer this model to our students this summer,” says Enayetullah, a former HYRS student and now the program’s coordinator. “The networking opportunities will be a blend of in-person and virtual, but the students will have the chance to work in the labs and as far as tours, we’ll do as many in person as we can.”

HYRS offers invaluable opportunities for students at the Universities of Lethbridge, Calgary and Alberta to participate in hands-on research activities with Alberta Innovates-funded research groups. They get the chance to work in a post-secondary setting alongside PhD, master’s and bachelor students on multidisciplinary projects that include everything from genetics to neuroscience, bioengineering, molecular imaging, health-care policy, recreational therapy and more.

Enayetullah was a Grade 11 student at Chinook High School when she was accepted into the program three years ago. She says it was an eye-opening experience that set her on a path to success for when she began her post-secondary studies.

“It was so important for me in getting accustomed to the university environment,” she says. “Even simple things like how to properly write emails to your professors, how to use the library database, or how to properly reference papers and utilize journals.”

Networking was also a key advantage to the program, as many of her peers ended up continuing their research interests with the professors they had met through HYRS as undergraduate students.

“We’re so fortunate that the U of L is a smaller university, and we can make these connections. We’ve had a strong group of professors who have supported HYRS for many years and are so helpful to our students.”

Dr. Stacey Wetmore, a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the U of L’s 2021 Speaker Research Award winner, has long supported HYRS.

“As a faculty member, introducing students to research is my biggest passion,” she says. “It is especially rewarding to be involved in this step very early in a student’s academic career, which is why participating in the HYRS program is so important to me. The quality of students who participate in the HYRS program is particularly outstanding, making this initiative even more fun as a mentor, as the students challenge the way we think about our own research questions.”

A total of eight students will take part in this year’s program, which runs for six weeks. Dr. Trushar Patel, a Canada Research Chair in RNA and Protein Biophysics, says HYRS acts as a gateway for some of our brightest students to find their passion.

“High school students are often faced with the challenges of deciding their career paths and the discipline they would like to engage with at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says Patel. “HYRS provides them opportunities to visit different labs, engage with researchers with a wide range of backgrounds and perform experiments. As researchers, one of our objectives is to train the next generation of talented individuals. HYRS connects researchers with outstanding students, promotes dialogues between students and researchers, provides an opportunity to discuss the impact of research and innovation, and stimulates student interest in scientific research. It is always fun to be a part of this exciting journey.”

UNews - Zaynab Enayetullah

High school students explore research through HYRS and new InSRA summer programs

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High school students gain exposure to ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research programs through HYRS initiative

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High school students gain exposure to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge research programs through HYRS initiative