DSU CIBER STEM Camp offers hands-on research for high school students
Delaware State University hosted more than 30 high school students this July for the annual CIBER High School Summer STEM Research Camp, a four-week program designed to immerse students in real-world scientific research and prepare them for college and STEM careers.
Now in its 15th year, the camp is offered through DSU’s College of Agriculture, Science and Technology and provides students with hands-on training in life sciences, environmental science, agriculture and data analysis. Participants work alongside DSU faculty on projects addressing real-time problems, using tools such as PCR, microscopy, spectroscopy and machine learning.
This year’s camp welcomed 32 students, the largest group in its history. Participants came from across Delaware and from states including California, Indiana, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. More than 65 percent of this year’s students were from Delaware.
Students also learned how to prepare resumes, cover letters and scientific abstracts. About half took part in public outreach, creating educational materials and connecting with local farmers and community members. At the end of the program, they presented their work at the DSU Summer Research Symposium, competing for presentation prizes in front of parents, faculty and community partners. Each student received a $2,000 stipend upon completion.
Parents say the camp is a rare opportunity. “There are no other programs like this providing such a great opportunity for the youth to learn about research and gain college research experience,” said Mr. Raheel Waheed, father of intern Raheel Waheed. “We are so grateful for DSU offering such an impactful program.”
Grandmother Ms. McKayla Ham called the camp “a blessing for our youth to learn and meet such a great group of people. This is such a unique program that provides it all, including research experiences, networking, soft skills development, presentation skills and physical activities.”
Dr. Gulnihal Ozbay, CIBER director and associate dean of cooperative extension and applied research, said the program’s growing reach shows its value. “Having youth apply from Delaware and beyond clearly confirms the importance of such training programs to better prepare our youth for college and professional careers,” he said. “I feel honored and blessed to initiate and run this program for over 17 years with the support and love from the local community, faculty and administrators from DSU and the State of Delaware.”
Funded this year by the National Science Foundation E-CORE initiative, Delaware EPSCoR, Delaware INBRE and the State of Delaware, the camp continues to be one of the only consistent high school research internship programs in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.
