Is science your thing? Or, are you a humanities student that wants to give science another chance? Apply to Greeley's three-year science research program to experience an individualized, authentic, research-based, science exploration.

Sophomore Year: Get Inspired.

What am I excited to learn about? You will devote all of sophomore year to answering this question. Sophomores explore a variety of scientific fields, from astronomy to zoology. Science is a broad term; you may research quite literally any topic. The best part: you get to choose. Someone who enjoys English class may choose linguistics. Someone who enjoys pop culture may choose social psychology. Someone who enjoys observing ants may choose entomology. You choose which articles you read, you choose the topics of your presentations.

Can you do a research project as a sophomore? Yes! It is strongly encouraged that you get involved with research early. All sophomores will begin the mentor search process. Any sophomore who completes a project early will be eligible to compete at WESEF and any other competition that is not seniors only. The earlier you have secured a mentor, the smoother and more rewarding the process of being in the science research will be.

Q: What are assessment meetings?

A: 15-minute biweekly meetings with your teacher that occur outside of class time, but during the school day. This time is used to discuss progress and set goals. You will have assessment meetings for the second and third years of the program.

Junior Year: Find & Participate In Research.

What is it about this particular field that I find fascinating? As a junior, you will hone your focus to a specific area within your chosen field, and become an expert in this area. A sophomore interested in neuroscience may focus on a certain neural pathway in their junior year. A sophomore interested in evolutionary biology may focus on the evolution of robin beaks in their junior year. And so on.

As this exploration is conducted, you will contact various scientists in your field in hopes to secure a research opportunity to participate in between January and the end of summer. This could either be a mentorship or an independent project, though it is recommended that students work under the guidance of a mentor. All rising seniors will collect the data for their project by the time they return for school in the fall.

Senior Year: Learn How To Present Research.

How do scientists formally present their findings? In your senior year, you will work closely with your teacher to write a research paper and create a poster that summarizes your summer research findings. Both the paper and poster will be submitted as part of a larger application to three research competitions. Two of these competitions also entail a live presentation in front of expert judges; in preparation, seniors frequently present their projects to classmates throughout the year. A nice perk for your hard work: you have the chance to win awards and hefty monetary prizes!

Q: What does this program offer me?

A: Opportunities.

Not only are you exposed to research competitions, conferences, and other exploratory experiences, but your participation in these events is incentivized and, sometimes, required. Alumni of the program agree that if these opportunities weren't embedded within the structure of a class, they wouldn't seek them out on their own. Teachers continually support students in finding more learning experiences beyond the classroom, and often create assignments around these opportunities so as to motivate students to participate. Often, it is these hands-on experiences where students find inspiration for their own path in research.

Community.

When a select group of students confronts the same obstacles with the same curious mindset, the result is an extremely tight-knit community. Being that there are only two sections of science research, students truly get to know everyone and their research interests by the end of three years. It certainly helps that every class involves collaborative activities - whether you're presenting to your class about a concept that fascinates you, or your peer is helping you to identify a plant on a teacher-guided nature walk. Perhaps the most connective aspect of it all, however, is the shared experiences; though research topics differ from student to student, everyone is working towards the same goals at the same time.

Life Skills.

Scientific literacy. Communication. Persistence. These are invaluable skills that you will learn within your very first year of the program, and hone by senior year. First, scientific literacy: this ability to understand both the format and content of scientific literature will allow you to base your opinions and decisions in real science. Communication is crucial throughout the program, but especially as juniors learn to write professional emails to researchers and craft résumés. Of course, this is relevant in job-searching, but more broadly, in relationship-building; students learn that communication is most effective when it is consistent. And then there is persistence - perhaps the most important skill to both science research and life: the willingness to keep trying in the face of repeated failure.