Throughout April, the Preuss School UC San Diego will be launching a month-long STEM outreach program, BioScholars, for all high school students interested in pursuing a Biology-related major in college. The program will be held every Tuesday and Thursday after school inside the library’s computer lab.

BioScholars is an educational program founded by the Division of Biological Services at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). The original purpose of the program was to connect undergraduate students at the University majoring in Biological Services (Biology) with tutors and professors in various small groups, which would help them achieve excellence in their preferred major.

Starting next month, the BioScholars program will be expanding its services to all high school students interested in STEM, specifically biology-focused fields of study.

Students will be working inside various workshops with the help of college students from UCSD. Students from grades 9-12 can sign up by emailing or asking their science teacher, depending on their grade level. Senior students that have Ms. Petraglia as their AP Environmental Science teacher can earn up to 10 points of extra credit for attending each BioScholars session.

The program will teach high school students how to read technical diction and analyze scientific papers from a variety of topics such as Gene Therapy and Fad Diets. A collection of workshops will be established from 4:00 to 4:45 pm to provide an intimate educational environment for all participants and UCSD scholars to work in.

Besides teaching students how to read and analyze scientific papers, BioScholars will teach students fundamental skills such as working in a group setting, collaborating with students from different grades, and developing strong communication amongst group members. These skills will be valuable to all high school students, especially for seniors once they attend college this upcoming fall.

At the end of the month, the program will be holding a college panel on Friday, April 29th where high school participants can ask college students from a diverse selection of STEM majors a variety of college-related questions.

“This will be a great opportunity for High School students to be able to ask questions about college, the application process, and anything they want to know about majoring in STEM at the university level,” elaborated program recruiter and science teacher, Ms. Petraglia.

The Bioscholars program will especially be a great opportunity for this year’s seniors to not only learn about Biology-related topics but to learn more about other STEM fields as well. The program also plans on eliminating common misconceptions in regards to science.

“Oftentimes students think that being a scientist is that of the stereotype of an inventor they see in the movies, but there are so many more avenues in science. Having exposure to and access to college students who are in these programs can bring a first-hand perspective to someone looking to major in that field,” elaborated Ms. Petraglia.

If you plan on learning more about what it takes to become a Biologist, BioScholars is the program for you!