Description

The Computer Science Mentorship Program (CSMP) is a 7-week summer program that provides high school students the opportunity to develop areas of research interest within computer science.

This free and accessible program is a valuable tool for aspiring computer scientists (like you!) to explore the world of computer science research using free and accessible resources. Resources include: open-source software, open-access papers, freely available development environments, and volunteer mentors, among others. Students will use these resources to pursue an independent project that will culminate in a presentation and a write-up by the end of the summer.

Requirements

Students participating in CSMP are expected to dedicate around 10-20 hours per week on the program. In addition, students must be available for most of the program dates: July 1st - August 10th. There are absolutely no other requirements. We do not expect or anticipate that students will enter our program knowing how to code! Access to a laptop or desktop computer is encouraged, but certainly not required. We currently expect to be able to accommodate all interested students. However, if spots do become limited, preference will be given to:

Students underrepresented in computer science or higher education (see here)
Junior or senior students who have never had the opportunity to participate in formal scientific projects
Students who are not taking part in another summer internship or are unable to participate in enriching summer activities (e.g. those who have to take care of siblings or family members for an extended period of time, have summer work commitments that bar one from taking part in career-oriented activities, etc.)

Program Structure

This program will have one weekly journal club, one interactive lab session, one content lecture, and one weekly research skills lecture for all students, which will be recorded. In addition, there will be weekly check-in meetings with your mentor (if you are a synchronous student) on the progress of your project.

During the last week of the program (August 9-10 for summer 2024), each student will present their individual project. In conjunction with the presentation, each student will submit--and keep--a project paper that can be used as a research supplement in college or other applications. Some students in the past have submitted their papers into student journals, which is great! However, keep in mind that the central focus of this program is first and foremost on enabling students to think carefully, deeply, and playfully as a scientist.