Applications for the 2026-2027
Mentorship Program open April 30th!
Ready to use science to make an impact in your community? Apply to join the OFIS Mentorship Program, running from September 2026 to May 2027.
Who Can Apply:
High school students (ages 15–17) currently residing in the United States (U.S.)
Graduate students enrolled in a STEM-related degree program at a U.S.-based institution
Selected participants will join small, near-peer mentorship teams. Together, they explore community challenges, apply the scientific method, and develop science-driven solutions through research, stakeholder engagement, and storytelling. An honorarium of $1,000 is awarded to Mentees and Mentors in appreciation of their time and full participation. Participants receive a $1,000 honorarium for full participation.
OFIS is a national program, with additional funding available for students residing in New York City and Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Students from these areas are especially encouraged to apply.
Priority Application Deadline: June 15, 2026
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Our Future Is Science (OFIS) is a national, virtual mentorship program that connects high school students with graduate-level scientists through a near-peer model. Mentors join from universities across the United States, bringing diverse perspectives and representing a wide range of STEM fields. Participants work in small mentorship teams where they explore challenges in their communities and learn how science can be used to understand and address them.
OFIS combines scientific learning, community engagement, and career exploration to help participants apply science to real-world challenges in their communities.
The program runs over the academic year (September–May), with a time commitment of approximately 1–2 hours per week.
Participants engage in a structured set of learning experiences, including weekly mentorship team meetings, monthly Community Talks, professional development workshops, and mentor-led lab tours.
The program is supported by a curriculum designed in partnership with past OFIS participants, and access to the OFIS eLibrary, which introduces participants to topics such as artificial intelligence, environmental adaptation, health disparities, and data science. Through these experiences, mentees learn how to apply the scientific method, conduct research, engage stakeholders, and communicate their ideas.
Mentees develop Science Engagement Projects—evidence-based, community-focused projects that connect scientific knowledge with real-world challenges. Projects are informed by research, interviews with scientists and community leaders, and participants’ own observations.
OFIS mentors come from universities across the U.S.
Don’t see your school?
Apply to join the next cohort.
PROGRAM DETAILS
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Mentees work in small, near-peer mentorship teams to explore challenges in their communities and apply science to understand and address them.
Over the course of the program, mentees:
Explore community challenges: Identify issues that matter to them and examine how science can help explain what they observe
Apply the scientific method: Conduct research, analyze information, and engage with stakeholders through interviews and community engagement
Develop a Science Engagement Project: Design and implement an evidence-based project that connects scientific knowledge with a real-world challenge
Engage with STEM topics: Build knowledge in areas such as artificial intelligence, environmental adaptation, health disparities, and food and water insecurity
Build career awareness: Connect with scientists and professionals through Community Talks, lab tours, and program events
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A $1,000 honorarium for full participation
A completed, portfolio-ready Science Engagement Project
Mentorship from graduate-level scientists
Skills in research, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration
Experience presenting work in public and professional settings
Strong material for college applications and essays
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Mentors work closely with mentees to support their learning, guide project development, and connect scientific concepts to real-world challenges.
Over the course of the program, mentors:
Support applied learning: Guide mentees in using the scientific method and developing their projects
Facilitate mentorship team meetings: Lead discussions, support research, and help mentees navigate challenges
Share scientific experience: Provide insight into research, academic pathways, and careers in STEM
Engage with community-focused work: Help connect scientific knowledge to community needs and lived experiences
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A $1,000 honorarium for full participation (confirm amount for consistency)
Experience mentoring and supporting student research and project development
Opportunities to strengthen teaching, leadership, and science communication skills
Expanded professional network through Community Talks and OFIS programming
Experience engaging in community-based and applied science
SCIENCE ENGAGEMENT PROJECTS
Explore examples of Science Engagement Projects developed by OFIS mentees, connecting scientific knowledge with real-world community challenges.
VIEW THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM EXPERIENCE
What OFIS 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
“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
What OFIS 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
INSPIRING YOUR FUTURE
Experience science.
Connect with scientists.
Explore careers.
Solve a problem in your community.
Design a Science Engagement Project.
Improve your public speaking.
Expand your network.
OFIS Mentee Trinity explores the environmental impacts of microplastics in her home state of Florida and organizes an educational park clean-up with local non-profit organizations.
Our Future Is Science (OFIS) is an initiative of Aspen Institute Science & Society Program that aims to position societally minded youth as leaders and innovators who will push science forward in the 21st century.
High school mentees work to identify a problem in their community and apply the scientific process coupled with learnings from the OFIS Social Justice e-Library and insights from the OFIS Community Talk speakers, to design a science-based solution.
Exemplary 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 capstone topics include:
Impacts of Poor-quality Housing in the NYC (South Bronx)
Cancer Clusters Coldwater Creek (North St. Louis)
Microplastics in South Florida
The Environmental Impact of Redlining in Tacoma, Washington
African Americans and the Criminal Justice System in Nashville, Tennessee
Black Maternal and Child Health Pregnancy in Oakland, California