High School Special Topics Program
What is the Special Topics Program?
Selected high school students will complete a program on a topic of their choosing, meeting approximately one hour each week throughout the semester with our volunteer STEM & Leaf Mentors and other program participants. Our mentors include students from a variety of backgrounds, including a PhD candidate, medical school students, and undergraduates from several departments. This is an unparalleled opportunity to learn about topics traditionally unavailable in high schools, showcase your talents on a collegiate level, and create projects that will have impact in your local community!
The meetings are conducted virtually, and any high school student from any part of the world may participate (but please note that meeting times will be set in CST).
Important Dates: Spring 2022 Session
Student App Opens
December 19th
Student App Closes
January 21st
Sessions Begin
Last Week of Sessions
Week of January 26th
April 18th
END OF SEMESTER SEMINAR: APRIL 24TH AT 10AM CST
Week of January 26th
What are the Topics?
Topics for the Spring 2022 semester are accessible in the link below! Here are examples of previous topics from our program.
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Political Organizing: Running a Campaign (Discussion) [Fall 2021]
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Creative Writing (Discussion + Project) [Fall 2021]
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Artificial Intelligence & the Philosophy of Mind (Lecture + Discussion) [Fall 2021]
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Health Philosophy & Policy (Discussion) [Fall 2021]
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Introduction to Cancer Biology (Discussion + Research + Publication) [Fall 2021]
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Introduction to Modern Agriculture (Discussion + Research) [Fall 2021]
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Ancient Greek Philosophy (Discussion) [Fall 2021]
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Healthcare Informatics: The New Frontier (Discussion) [Fall 2021]
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Mathematical Linguistics (Research) [Spring 2020]
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Computational Biology (Project-Based) [Fall 2020]
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Computational Linguistics (Research) [Fall 2020]
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Music and Memory (Discussion + Research) [Spring 2021]
Student Eligibility
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Students must be 13 years or older
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Students must be in high school
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Parent/Guardian permission required
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Parent/Guardian must submit application
Testimonial
"The STEM & Leaf Corps gave me an unique opportunity to dive deeper into biological topics through an interesting project. I learned valuable information about coding, which I had little knowledge of beforehand, so it was an amazing learning experience!"
~Prashamsa Ghimire, Computational Biology, Fall 2020
Meet Our Coordinators!
Anna Schmieding
Mark Gao
B.S. Biochemistry '23
We are so excited to be a part of this program! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.
INTERESTED IN MENTORING?
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student (from any university), we would love to have you as a mentor! Fill out an interest form, and we will be in contact with you.
Frequently asked questions
How are you addressing concerns of student safety?
All STEM & Leaf Mentors are background checked and must comply with The STEM & Leaf Corps Mentor Commitment. Additionally, at least two STEM & Leaf Mentors and two students must be present for every meeting. Furthermore, all Topic Leaders have been interviewed and approved by The STEM & Leaf Team. Finally, consent from parents or guardians is required for any student to participate in the programs. For further information please check out our Privacy Policy and the Mentor Commitment. Links to both can be found at the bottom of this page.
I don't see times or days for weekly meetings. When do the groups meet?
When parents or guardians fill out the application, they are able to indicate their child's availability. Mentors will choose the most qualified students who are able to meet at a time with all of the other students in the group. This time will be finalized after applications close, between January 22 and 29, by the mentors leading the group.
What are some examples of the previous projects?
Students in the Computational Biology program each chose a disease and mapped out the biology on a cellular and molecular level. Then they wrote programs that modeled the disease, the body’s response to the disease, or how doctors would respond to the disease. They also read a New Kind of Science, discussing the notion of biological complexity and aspects of evolution. One student's project modeled Crohn's colitis and incorporated set and random variables into the program such that the "patient" would have different genetics, symptoms, and outcomes nearly every time the program was run. Check out his Python file here!
What if my student is interested in more than one project?
Parents/Guardians will rank their children's preferred topics on the application. If the student is accepted they will be matched into one program. However, if there is availability and parents indicate availability for more than one program, students may be considered for more than one program. Preference will be given to students who have not been placed.
How big are the groups?
Our topics this semester were either requested by previous students or proposed by mentors and vary widely in their aims and modalities. Thus mentors will be making the decisions based on how many students they can feasibly accomodate while maintaining a small-group feel to the program. That being said, the groups may vary from 3 to about 30 students.
Is The STEM & Leaf Corps a 501(c)(3) nonprofit?
Yes! We are registered in the great State of Texas. Tax-deductible donations are greatly appreciated and go towards supplies for our project-based programs with elementary and middle school students. Click here to donate!
Is this really free? Is it completely virtual?
Other Questions?
If you have any questions about the modality of the Special Topics Programs, Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Mentor Commitment, or any concerns of any kind, please do not hesitate to reach out to either of the Special Topics Program coordinators directly or email stemleaf.corps@gmail.com.
If you are an undergraduate or graduate student and interested in leading a special topics program, please complete the mentor interest form and email the program coordinators.
