The LBNL High School Student Research Participation Program (HSSRPP)

The HSSRPP, which has been in operation at LBNL since 2001, places 25-35 students each year in summer research internships at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a multi-purpose Department of Energy laboratory. The paid six-week internships, which are restricted to students who have completed their junior or senior year of high school, are highly sought over, with nearly 300 applications in 2006. With funding from Bechtel, the success of the program has been assessed through surveys and tracking of the student participants. In addition, as part of the application process, the students are asked the essay question, ``If you were in charge of the Science Department at your High School, what changes would you make to motivate more students to pursue careers in science and why?'' The responses of all applicants for 2004-2006 have been analyzed by gender and school district. The results will be discussed.