UMaine offers free STEM research course for high school students

Registration is open for an innovative five-week college STEM research course for qualified high school students in grades 10–12, offered by the University of Maine June 28–July 30 at the UMaine Hutchinson Center in Belfast.

Introduction to Integrated Science and Career Exploration (INT 188), a three-credit college course, will meet 8 a.m.–noon Monday–Wednesday. Qualified high school students can enroll at no charge. Students who pay to attend high school in Maine, including out-of-state and international students, will be charged a reduced Early College rate. 

INT 188 is designed to introduce high school students to higher education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and to provide an opportunity to engage in research. The low student-teacher ratio ensures significant interaction in lectures, while conducting fieldwork and laboratory instruction. Topics include data collection and analysis, experimental design, measuring and graphic techniques, scientific writing and evidence-based thinking. 

Students will participate in group work, a research project in environmental chemistry or environmental biology, a career-planning assignment focusing on STEM fields, career exploration experiences and a final research symposium on July 30. 

Strict social distancing protocols will be observed both in the classroom and in the field.

Course instructors Susan Therio and Dave Thomas are adjunct faculty members at UMaine, teaching chemistry and oceanography courses, respectively. 

To register, visit the course webpage. For eligibility and application questions, contact um.earlycollege@maine.edu. For more information about course content, contact Chris Tremblay, 338.8038; christopher.james.tremblay@maine.edu