Individual Research Program
Middle and high school students are beginning to make decisions about their path in life that may echo well into their future. The research program at Schmahl Science is designed to provide an early taste of what is involved in scientific research and working in a lab. For students who embark on engineering projects, they have an opportunity to imagine a solution and experience the steps necessary to give it life.
Along the way, students have an opportunity to:
- Perform a wide variety of lab techniques
- Understand the working principles behind the techniques
- Explore existing research (search for papers, assess validity/relevance)
- Explore microbiology, molecular biology, environmental chem/biology, medical biology, physics, engineering and more
- Use test and measurement instrumentation
- Build structures (e.g. wind tunnels, towers, tracks, etc)
- Tech design (e.g. circuits, boards, Arduino-based)
- Create software (e.g. apps, machine learning algorithms)
- Create a research or engineering proposal
- Develop a budgetEstablish a workflow plan
- Present to an approval committee of scientific reviewers and parental funders
- Maintain a lab or engineering notebook as documentation of works performed
- Provide program management : materials, appointments, adjustments
The Next Question
– A discovery doesn’t necessarily increase our knowledge. It increases our awareness of our ignorance.
Personal growth for students is our primary goal:
- Foundation for choosing a course of study in high school and college
- Develop a clear objective, persist through complex steps and overcome unexpected developments to reach an important outcome
- Written and verbal communication with adults ranging from scientific details to budgets/materials ordering to schedule planning.
- Excitement of achieving something important and confidence building of personal accomplishment
Unlike any other, our award-winning research program gives students of all ages the opportunity to explore topics that inspire them with the support and encouragement of a science or engineering mentor. Research is performed using SSW’s well equipped lab facilities, enabling your student to explore remarkably sophisticated topics. Past research topics include :
- Treatment and prevention of staph infection
- Antioxidants
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Genetics of baldness
Through authentic research experiences and course work, your student will learn the discipline and art of doing science rather than merely reading about it. Many of the students who participate in this program have gone on to win awards and other recognition in local and state science fairs.
The meetings are one-on-one with a mentor, scheduled at a mutually convenient time for student and mentor. During the planning phase, the meetings typically last 1.5 - 2 hours. Once in the lab phase, meetings are for the period of time needed to accomplish the research step at hand, typically ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours.
For More Information:
- Email : customerservice@schmahlscience.org
- Phone : 408 281 7595 ext 10