Spring 2006

www.calacademy.org

Every day at the California Academy of Sciences, visitors of all ages move eagerly across the museum floor, expanding their view of the natural world. A cadre of Academy educators helps focus and foster their curiosity. Armed with a microscope, a video camera, and a computer, 16-year-old Jenny has undergone months of training and testing to prepare her to answer visitors’ questions. Today, she will try to convince them that an amoeba is incredible, even cool.

Jenny is one of 40 Careers in Science interns. Supported by the Koret Foundation, the program gives 35 to 45 high school and early college-aged students — especially those from traditionally underrepresented communities — singular opportunities to teach, to learn, and to do research in an authentic, paid working environment.

“The Careers in Science program commits to supporting its interns for up to five years, until they age out,” said Margaret G. Burke, the Academy’s director of education. “That promise is pivotal to fostering personal investment and to creating the stable environment responsible for delivering the program’s life-changing experiences. Koret’s dedicated support of Careers in Science in each of the program’s 10 years has been the cornerstone of that commitment, enabling both the program and its students to fulfill their promise.”

Last year, 144 students applied for eight positions. Interns work up to 15 hours per week during the school year, and up to 35 hours per week in the summer. They attend classes on core science concepts; they are tested before they can teach visitors; they learn with Steinhart Aquarium biologists; and they take field trips to learn sampling and observation techniques.

At a time when our nation’s competitiveness in the sciences is under scrutiny, Careers in Science is a model for nurturing the next generation. Adding SAT tutoring as well as college application and scholarship information, the program has inspired all its interns to apply to college. In a recent study of Careers in Science alumni, 52 percent reported that participation in the program was the primary reason they continued their education.

“It’s not just about science,” one recent alumna said. “To me, it’s really about achieving personal growth at a critical time in life.”

When the Academy opens its new landmark building in Golden Gate Park in 2008, Careers in Science interns will be there as exemplars of the Academy’s dedication to the future of American scientists. But you don’t have to wait until 2008 to see them: They are at work now in temporary quarters on Howard Street in San Francisco. During your next visit to the Academy, look for the interns helping explore and explain the natural world. Jenny and her amoeba are waiting!