Stanford programs prepare underrepresented high schoolers for careers in science, engineering and medicine Stanford News

On the first day of "camp," two dozen rising high school sophomores arrive at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory's Outreach Summer program (SAILORS) giddy and ready to get started. The rigorous, two-week program is designed to encourage young women from underrepresented populations to get more involved in the field of science. High school students Ishla Zareef-Mustafa and Genaro Pamatz participate in an anatomy lab as part of the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program. On the last day of the summer residential Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP), 24 high school students, surrounded by family members, friends and mentors, present the research they have been working on during the five-week summer program.These programs, which fall under the umbrella of Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies, are designed to provide teenagers from underrepresented populations with an opportunity to explore careers in science, but also to build new relationships, while taking what they've learned back to their home communities. The SAILORS curriculum includes lectures, hands-on research projects and mentoring activities that are intended to educate and excite young women about artificial intelligence.