DOE’s RENEW Initiative Will Support 6 Pathway Summer Schools
October 25, 2023
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science will support nearly 140 high schoolers, recent high school graduates, and early undergraduate students from underrepresented groups and underserved schools in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through awards for 6 Pathway Summer Schools at 6 national laboratories.
Funding comes from DOE’s Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative (see details at https://science.osti.gov/initiatives/RENEW). Sponsored by the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), the WDTS RENEW Pathway Summer Schools aim to diversify the STEM talent pool via hands-on learning opportunities and inclusive mentorship at DOE national laboratories.
“Office of Science is excited to provide new and innovative opportunities to students interested in pursuing STEM careers. The RENEW Pathway Summer Schools offer a chance for students to experience the national laboratories and what they have to offer,” said Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Director of the DOE Office of Science. “Science is for everyone, and we hope these students are able to see themselves pursuing a STEM career.”
The new awards are:
- Argonne National Laboratory, RENEW Pathways High School Bridge into Internships Summer School
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Interdisciplinary Pathways to Machine Learning and Data Science
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Brookhaven User Facility Summer School
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Chemistry Opportunities for Research Experiences (CORE)
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Plasma Pathway Summer School for High School Students
- Sandia National Laboratories (Lead) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Collaborative), QCaMP: Building New Pathways for a Quantum Ready Workforce
Pathway Summer Schools will create a consortium of intentional, concerted, and continued efforts across the DOE national laboratories to explore, initiate, and sustain inclusive pathways for young students to enter the science and technology workforce in support of the DOE mission. The schools will leverage existing partnerships between DOE national laboratories and local, regional, and national organizations supporting underrepresented groups in STEM to recruit participants.
Students will participate in a range of activities to increase STEM efficacy and promote STEM identity such as hands-on learning guided by a mentor or mentoring team, networking with mentors and other summer school participants, and professional development activities. The summer schools will take place in 2024.
Pathway Summer Schools will join the existing DOE Office of Science portfolio of research internships, summer schools, and fellowships for all educational levels, ranging from high school to established faculty.
More information is available at the Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists website.