Speaking About Science Institutes...
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Student Comments Science Mentors 
Summer Science Institute 2001
High School Students     Student Work Samples

"I learned a lot about myself through this research project. I gained new organizational skills and developed many useful abilities that I can apply in my every day life when I interact with people. I met a variety of different people and was able to interact with them on a professional level, although I am only a junior in high school. To get the most out of this experience, I had to take initiative and force myself to take out of it the most possible. Through this project I not only learned important information about breast cancer prevention, but I also learned something about myself and the things I can accomplish with hard work and perseverance."
 
"The most rewarding aspect of this project was the opportunity to experience actual lab work. It was nice to be able to see what it would really be like to work in a research laboratory.  This was especially helpful because choosing a field to go into is often difficult when you don't know too much about it. This is especially true since we have both been considering research as a possible option. Overall, the opportunity to experience it was invaluable, especially because it was something we really enjoyed. This project turned out to be one of the most successful group projects either of us had ever done. We worked well together, and our productive mesh of talents produced a product better then that which would have been seen had we worked alone."

"I was very impressed by the willingness of all the people we met to help us with our research and give us a better understanding of breast cancer prevention and related topics. I enjoyed this experience immensely. This project had many different areas that were necessary to cover. We had such a large array of information and it was an excellent learning experience to be able to narrow down everything we were presented with. I had never actually done a research type project, and had no mentoring experience prior to this Institute."

"I like to think that if you have some sort of illness, a doctor can look at you, diagnose you, give you some medicine or surgery, send you home, and that will be the end of it.  But it isn’t always like that.  Looking at the fungus aspergillus, I have learned that scientists don’t know about everything.  Sometimes they haven’t a clue about things.  Aspergillus is like that.  Little research has been done on the fungus. What I have truly learned from my research is that scientists still have steps to take before they figure out how to save immunocompromised patients from aspergillosis. Maybe the secret lies in starting at the source of the immune system by repairing white cells.  However the conclustion may be reached, hopefully it will be soon, for the sake of people like my grandfather."
 

Student Comments, Wetland Wonders
Summer Science Institute 2002
Early Elementary Students    Meeting Dr. Jane Goodall

“My favorite part of the class was going to the pond field trip. I guess it was cool when we looked real close at it and could see all the pond critters. I want to learn more about everything! I would take the class again. It was fun!!”

“I learned that water, soil and plants are the three things for all wetlands. The best part of the summer wetland class was biomonitoring the seeds. The most interesting thing I learned was that the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in Michigan. I want to learn more about restoration because I want to restore wetlands.”

“My favorite part of the class is “whoosh!” I liked tracking the snakes the best and learning why some wetlands need to dry up.”

“My best memories of this class are doing experiments like biomonitoring and doing pH test with water samples. I liked seeing the Fen from the bird’s eye view on the hilltop, watching the bugs and leeches in the water buckets, standing on top of a rattlesnake burrow, and flagging the wetland area.”

“I liked the soil sample and snake field trips the best. I learned that all wetlands have soil, plants and water and not to destroy wetlands.”

“My favorite part of the class was going to Indian Springs MetroPark. I liked finding the animals homes, tracking the snakes and testing the soil and looking at the lagoon at the War Memorial. I want to learn more about biomonitoring because it is fun to work with living things.”