High school students are getting early exposure to real-world research, thanks to a hands-on internship program at the University of Notre Dame. The future of STEM research is bright, and local high school students are already stepping into that future through the Center for Broader Impacts' (CBI) High School Research Internship program. During the 2024-2025 academic year, students from Mishawaka High School and the Career Academy Network were given the opportunity to gain real-world STEM research experience by working alongside graduate student research mentors in a university laboratory.
By stepping into the lab twice a week, these high school students didn’t just learn about science and engineering – they lived it. Through hands-on experiments, data analysis, and direct mentorship, they connected classroom concepts to real-world scenarios. This experience not only introduced the students to academic research, but also helped them to gain practical skills, build confidence, and see firsthand the driving force for change behind STEM research at Notre Dame.
Doug Hill, a junior at Mishawaka High School, reflected upon his experience working in the Camden Lab in McCourtney Hall.
“It was a great learning opportunity working in a lab, getting to hold myself accountable for a lot of things,” he shared. “There’s also a lot of patience too in learning something like this.”
For Hill, the experience was eye-opening and transformative.
“A lot of stuff isn’t impossible. I did not think I would be doing this ever. I still don’t know everything about this, but now I have a lot more background than I usually would. I think just being put into a new experience is always good, no matter what," added Hill.
Each week, the students also participated in Friday group classes held at the South Bend Technology Resource Center and led by CBI’s Education and Workforce Development Program Director Catherine Wagner. Students engaged in these weekly discussions covering anything from research topics in the lab to other college preparation topics of interest. The development of these kinds of skills is what serves students well in high school, college, and beyond.
“The high school student interns grew so much this year in their confidence and communication of complex research topics,” said Wagner. “Discussing what they were doing in the lab during our Friday classes helped all students gain insight into the range of research possibilities and understand a variety of research topics.”
This internship program spans from August to May and wrapped up at the end of the academic year with an inspiring showcase, where students shared their final research posters with their family members, educators, and community members. The students' scientific understanding of their findings and confidence in their presentations demonstrates how critical programs like this are for building the next generation of STEM leaders.
For Maddux Kuhnle, a junior at Mishawaka High School, the impact of this program extends beyond the lab into a possible future career.
“I want to go into the exercise science field or kinesiology which is kind of around the same basis as the work we did in the labs,” said Kuhnle. “I think I now have my foot in the door for knowing what a lab looks like and proper PPE for lab safety.”
Through hands-on exposure in laboratory environments and mentorship from experienced graduate researchers, students like Kuhnle were able to see how work of this nature translates into real career opportunities. The experience also helped the students to build professional skills like communication, teamwork, and time management that will benefit them in any future path.
“No matter what the interns choose to do next, they will each carry with them this unique experience of working alongside a mentor in the field, trying something new, and sharing what they learned with others” said Wagner.
The program is made possible by the Notre Dame faculty who provided lab placements and the graduate researchers who completed more than 100 hours of mentorship with the high school students.
This upcoming academic year, 11 students will participate in the program including for the first time students from the Portage School of Leaders and the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Indiana Corridor.
Article originally published on https://publicaffairs.nd.edu/.