The Community Engagement and Leadership in Science (CELS) Academic Year Program aims to strengthen pathways into math and science education for students who are from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in STEM majors and careers (African-American, Latino/a, and Native American) while preparing Lewis & Clark College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) student’s to purs
ue careers as future educators in a diverse and changing society. The CELS Academic Year Program matches Community Educator Teams, comprised of 3 Community Educators and 1 Community Educator Leader, with 10-20 high school students from one of our five partner schools. Community Educator Teams meet with high school students at each school site once a week between September and May to engage in a student-led community-based science project. Under the guidance of Community Educator Teams, high school student groups work together to: 1) Identify a problem or issue facing their school or community; 2) Use an inquiry approach to develop and implement an action plan to investigate the issue using the scientific method and quantitative reasoning skills; 3) Communicate these findings with the public. In addition to engaging in community-based science projects, high school CELS scholars receive college admission, readiness, and assessment guidance from school counseling graduate students from Lewis & Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling. High school students are also invited to Lewis & Clark’s campus to present their research at the CELS Spring Symposium and apply for a position to work in a faculty research lab as a paid CELS Summer Intern. CELS Summer Program:
The CELS Summer Program is designed to give promising high school and undergraduate students the opportunity to be immersed in the practice of scientific research through a summer laboratory-based research experience. Our program emphasizes the collaborative nature of scientific research and our high school CELS Summer Scholars have the opportunity to be active and contributing research team members searching for answers to scientific questions along side L&C and OHSU faculty, and other undergraduate and high school scholars. Each high school CELS Summer Scholar is paired with an undergraduate mentor from Lewis & Clark College who has an interest in both science and teaching/mentoring. High school students receive support in a weekly seminar while undergraduate student mentors attend a seminar focused on effective mentoring and cultural competency. The CELS Summer Program operates in partnership with the John S.
