ABOUT THE OFIS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Our Future Is Science (OFIS) is a virtual Mentorship Program in its fourth year that pairs graduate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) students with high school students, fostering a supportive and relatable mentorship dynamic.
OFIS emphasizes scientific learning, community engagement, and career exploration, with the goal of bridging gaps between science and societal issues.
Over 8-months, OFIS Mentees craft Capstone Projects through Mentor-guided research and by conducting interviews with scientists and community leaders to create evidence-based solutions to real-world challenges they have observed in their respective communities.
OFIS Mentees and Mentors benefit from attending weekly Mentorship Team Meetings and our monthly Community Talk Series featuring scientists, activists, and community leaders. They also attend professional development workshops and have access to our social justice e-library, which covers topics such as artificial intelligence, climate change, health disparities, and big data.
We encourage the participation of students who face inequities, are underserved, and/or are from historically marginalized groups often underrepresented in STEM education and careers. An honorarium of $1,000 is awarded to Mentees, and $1,500 to Mentors.
INSPIRING YOUR FUTURE
Experience science.
Connect with scientists.
Explore careers.
Solve a problem in your community.
Deepen commitments to social justice.
Design a capstone project.
Improve your public speaking.
Expand your network.
THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM EXPERIENCE
What OFIS alumni mentees are saying…
“Research for my OFIS capstone led me to interview a person who invited me to apply
for an internship along the same lines as my capstone research. Now I am participating
in this summer internship, using the
research skills I learned in OFIS.”
— OFIS Mentee, 11th grade, Michigan
“I created a social justice club at my school
and I'm creating a website about Social
Justice in my community catered to young adults.”
— OFIS Mentee, 10th grade, California
“OFIS has fostered my interest in science and helped me grow professionally. Before this program I was afraid of public speaking. OFIS helped me get over that fear.”
— OFIS Mentee, 11th grade, Missouri
THE MENTEE EXPERIENCE
MENTEES will work virtually with mentors to:
Social Justice Journey: Discover how science intersects with social justice to drive change and equity.
Scientific Investigation: Design a capstone project by working closely with mentors, scientists, and activists to demonstrate how science can be used to understand and improve societal problems.
STEM Topics: Explore areas like artificial intelligence, climate change, healthcare, food insecurity, and other challenges in marginalized and underserved communities.
Careers: Gain insight into various STEM fields, virtually tour labs and worksites, and network with industry leaders.
OFIS Mentee, Prisha Bhat, and her Mentorship Team explored tree inequity from different perspectives. Based in Texas, she worked with her school’s administration, peers, and community partners to create a tree-planting program on her high school’s campus to bring awareness about the issue AND address via a community-centered approach.
MENTEE BENEFITS
Enhance college applications with strong credentials, and uncover potential college essay topics.
Design a professional-level capstone project with measurable impacts and present it to the public.
Prepare to become a leader in the next generation of the scientific workforce.
Work closely with a mentorship team and obtain valuable advice and feedback.
Improve public speaking, critical thinking, presentation, and collaboration skills.
Receive a $1,000 stipend.
PROGRAM DURATION
September 2024 to May 2025
THE MENTOR EXPERIENCE
MENTORS will have the opportunity to:
Participate virtually. OFIS is 100% virtual allowing you to mentor students actively involved in their school and communities all over the U.S.
Explore and deepen commitments to social justice. Teams of mentors and mentees will explore links between science (STEM more broadly) and social justice. Explore topics such as artificial intelligence and physics to inform climate change adaptation, healthcare and food insecurity in underserved communities, and more.
Demonstrate the science method. Transfer your knowledge and experience via mentorship team meetings, virtual lab tours, and group conversations.
Learn by doing. Mentor students as they create a capstone project.
MENTOR BENEFITS
Foster the future scientific workforce.
Identify societal implications in STEM fields or specific research areas.
Boost CVs with mentoring, curriculum design, and inclusive teaching experiences.
Expand professional connections and engage with renowned scientists and organizations in curated Community Talks.
Enhance and diversify science communication skills while learning inclusive practices.
Earn a $1,500 honorarium.
We accept mentors from all Universities in the U.S. The image to the right indicates where our mentors have come from to date.
Be a trailblazer and have your school represented in the OFIS program!
What OFIS alumni mentors are saying…
“OFIS has made me value more the importance of social justice in the research that we do— from the common topic of recruiting
more diverse populations for clinical trials,
to paying attention to these factors when analyzing data from existing trials. OFIS has reinforced the urgency I see in developing
bone marrow transplants that are more accessible to people of all ethnicities.”
— OFIS Mentor, Harvard University
“I was able to gain a new perspective on the relationship between science and social
justice through helping the mentees with
the capstone project. Mentees were
engaging and asking questions I would not
have thought to ask. Mentors were always available to lend assistance and plan for the
next meeting.”
— OFIS Mentor, Delaware state university
“Participating in OFIS made me more vocal about the importance of social justice work in the sciences and inspired me to start sharing resources and having conversations in my current lab. Additionally, this summer I will be working for a program for high school-age girls and will use my OFIS experience to be a better instructor.”
— OFIS Mentor, University of Guam