Help us to Continue Offering Enriching and Meaningful Educational Opportunities to Youth in our Community
This fundraiser supports BTI’s high school internship program, which pairs local students with seasoned scientists to give them a six-week, hands-on laboratory experience.
This rich experience is designed to foster students’ academic and career development and to encourage them to pursue future careers in plant science.
Meeting the Need to Advance STEM Education Locally
BTI understands that engaging students early in their academic careers is crucial to their success and therefore works to extend this valuable summer program to local high school students through partnerships with organizations and individuals like you who are committed to supporting local STEM education. Of the 43 high school students who have participated in this program, 70% have been residents of Tompkins County (in 2014, fully 100% were residents of Tompkins County).
The program makes a special effort to be inclusive of underrepresented demographics in STEM fields such as women, minorities, and students who may lack financial resources to pursue similar opportunities. Both undergraduate and high school interns receive stipends to help them take advantage of this summer education opportunity regardless of economic status.
Impact
In addition to benefitting the individual students who participate, this program contributes to the future success of our community by providing its youth with the training required to thrive in an increasingly science and technology-based economy.
Leadership
The program is currently organized and managed by our Director of Education and Outreach Tiffany Fleming under the leadership of BTI Associate Professor Georg Jander.
The Intern Experience in Their Own Words
“Although my weeks at BTI included several exciting successes, a large portion of my time was spent troubleshooting, frequently backtracking to pinpoint the cause of my disappointing results. Not only was this valuable to my understanding of the experimental process, my frustration gave me a new appreciation for the timeframe of research; each discovery summarized in a paper or magazine article represents months, if not years, of the concerted effort of many scientists. Working closely with a mentor showed me the value of collaboration and especially mentorship in the laboratory environment." 2014 BTI Intern, Elise Reynolds, Ithaca High School Student
“The PGRP summer internship experience greatly influenced my decision to apply to Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. With every reaction I completed, I was in awe by the intricate webs of relationships that make up our world. I am nurtured by the knowledge that the work I conducted at a minute level, pipetting micro-liters of substance from tube to tube, has the potential to affect international food security, the survival of industries and the fate of nations in the future.” 2013 and 2014 BTI Intern, Felix Fernandez-Penny, Ithaca High School student
“The BTI internship taught me how to design experiments, to troubleshoot in the laboratory, and to refine my scientific writing skills. Moreover, I benefitted from collaborating in a dynamic, thought-provoking environment alongside highly motivated researchers. My time at BTI has exposed me to an array of ideas and techniques and has helped me cultivate an interest in scientific research that has shaped my future plans. I would like to thank my mentor Elizabeth Brauer, the Popescu lab, and Tiffany Fleming for this transformative experience.” 2014 BTI Intern, Meeta Shrivastava, Lansing High School Student
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