*** Please note: The application period for 2024 is now closed. Announcements of summer 2024 class acceptances will go out at the end of April. Thank you for your interest!***
Palm Beach and Martin County High School Students
Launch Your Research Career Here
The Kenan Fellows High School Summer Internship experience runs from June to August. The first week of training takes place in the biotechnology classrooms at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. After that, the program moves to The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute campus in Jupiter, Florida. This full-time, paid opportunity is for students in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
Program Details
High school students from Palm Beach and Martin counties are invited to apply for an exceptional opportunity: a full-time, nine-week summer internship at The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute laboratories in Jupiter, Florida, working alongside leading scientists who tackle tough challenges like cancer and the pandemic coronavirus. The Kenan Fellows High School Summer Internship opens up the fascinating world of biological and chemical research. Explore a potential career in basic research, drug discovery, biotechnology or biomedical engineering while learning lab, presentation and research skills. This program was established in 2005 and is made possible through the generosity of the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust.
Students conduct basic biomedical research in a laboratory under the supervision of a UF Scripps scientist. The program emphasizes the scientific process, research planning, bench experience, experimental design, data analysis and interaction with laboratory personnel. Kenan fellows also attend scientific seminars that introduce them to a wide array of research topics. Students are paid a stipend of $4,480 for the summer.
Prior to their arrival, participants attend a one-week, comprehensive introductory course that covers techniques and applications standard in biomedical research. The course is offered by the Biotechnology Program at Palm Beach State College, Palm Beach Gardens Campus, and provides students with a foundation of basic skills necessary to succeed in a biomedical research laboratory. After the one-week course, students work full time in a UF Scripps laboratory for an eight-week period, Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week. Students must arrange for daily transportation. UF Scripps does not provide transportation or housing. Student interns are awarded a stipend for the eight weeks internship.
In addition to attending weekly seminars during the summer, students are expected to:
- Submit a written scientific abstract at the conclusion of the program
- Make an oral presentation at the conclusion of the program
Eligibility
Kenan fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who will begin their junior or senior years in a Palm Beach or Martin County high school in the fall of that year. All applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0. Students must be 16 years or older by the first day of the program. Students are required to be available for the entire internship.
2024 Program Dates: June 3rd to August 2nd
How to apply
The deadline to apply for the summer 2024 program has passed. Acceptance announcements will be issued in late April.
Read more about educational opportunities at the institute in the Lab Notebook Blog: Scenes from a Transformative Summer
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