The 2021 Project Seed Virtual Summer Camp was a five-week online program that aimed to strengthen students professionally while preparing them for in-person research either next summer as part of Project SEED, or in future research opportunities.
More than 373 students participated in and attended webinars, virtual panels, and online discussions, and completed independent assignments with the guidance and mentorship of their Cabin Leaders and Camp Managers while networking with their fellow campers. All of these students except twenty eight met June 28 – July 30, 2021, via synchronous and asynchronous meetings, small group, and social/networking sessions. Participants were also required to attend all sessions within the camp and national itinerary while completing all required assignments and activities, which included a live presentation of a research project of their choice. The students did an awesome job featuring awesome presentation skills. The other 28 students participated in an inaugural Virtual Research Pilot program.
Project SEED continues as a program of the Education Division, sponsored by the American Chemical Society and a number of corporate and individual donors. This year more than 35 students received scholarships for the 2021 – 2022 academic years. ACS continues to commit to encouraging excellence in education and values diversity, inclusion, and respect. Visit www.acs.org/projectseed for more information and send questions to projectseed@acs.org.
By the end of the camp, the participants (Project Seed Interns) should be able to:
- Demonstrate competency in wet lab safety techniques, learn and demonstrate ethical discretion in crediting contributing authors and resources, and make connections between the over-arching goals of research projects with the smaller experiments that support them.
- Learn and practice professional communication techniques and improve their personal statement and resume writing abilities.
- Compare professional career paths by means of exposure to academic, industrial, government and entrepreneurial via career panels and activities using ACS career resources.
The 2021 Project Seed Virtual Summer Program was divided into several camps while Dr. Antoine Carty and Carolyn Burnley served as managers for Camp Alpha which consisted of three Cabins:
1) Hydrogen - Cabin Leaders: Monica Rivas, a High School Chemistry Teacher of nine years and Feven Minaleshewa, a student majoring in Biology at Augustana University;
2) Lithium - Cabin Leaders: Jonathan Castro, a Chemical Engineering student at UTSA and Noella Masengesho, a Chemistry student at Iowa State and last but not least;
3) Helium - Cabin Leaders: Kaleb Mathieu, a High School Chemistry Teacher and an Educational Psychology PhD student at Texas A&M – Commerce and Jason Gladstone, a Biochemistry student at Northeastern University (Pre-Med).
This summer two Greater Houston members served as Camp Alpha speakers: Dr. JanElsa Carty and Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth.
