New class begins STEM journey with Yale’s Pathways to Science

Faculty members, graduate students and staff of Yale Pathways to Science welcomed New Haven area middle and high school students and their families to the program during an orientation held Sunday Sept. 21.

Faculty members, graduate students, and staff of Yale Pathways to Science welcomed New Haven area middle and high school students and their families to the program during an orientation held Sunday Sept. 21. The group of over 600 filled Yale Commons to discuss science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) outreach programs at Yale.  

The 80 faculty members and graduate students in attendance each hosted a table of students and families and provided information and answered questions. Claudia Merson, director of public school partnerships, and Maria Parente, coordinator of community programs in science at Yale, were also on hand.

“Yale Pathways to Science welcomes you as the youngest members of our community of scientists and invites you to be a part of the exciting research and challenging problems that Yale scientists are working on,” said Merson in her opening remarks. 

Marta Moret, ’84 M.P.H., president of Urban Policy Strategies and wife of Yale President Peter Salovey, also helped to welcome the students and offer words of encouragement and support.

“I grew up in New York City and I didn’t necessarily see a lot of role models who looked like me when I was growing up,” said Moret. “But I persisted and I did find good teachers and mentors. I can tell all of you that if you dream big, work hard, and find the support you need, you really can go far.”

Moret added, “The work of Yale is to inspire the minds that inspire the world. Your minds may be young, but we know they are big minds and we think you will do big things for the world. We want to do everything we can to help you.”

Following the orientation, students were treated to an exclusive after hours tour of the Peabody Museum.

Managed through Yale’s Office of New Haven and State Affairs, Pathways to Science provides a gateway for the Yale scientific community to offer opportunities for middle and high school students.

“I am continually impressed by the commitment of Yale faculty, staff and students to local students and the wonderful work they do,” said Parente.

Over 1,000 Pathways students are considered the youngest members of Yale’s community of scientists and are invited throughout the
 year to special events, academic lectures, demonstrations, hands-on activities, summer programs and research opportunities. Once accepted into the program, students are invited to attend more than 50 different programs annually through their high school graduation and beyond. There are currently over 300 Pathways to Science students currently enrolled in college.

Students can become involved in Pathways via teacher nomination or participating in a core Yale science outreach program like Science Collaborative Hands-On Learning and Research (S.C.H.O.L.A.R.) Students who have attended multiple public science outreach events are also invited to apply.

For information on the many other science outreach programs at Yale, visit the Science Outreach website.

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Media Contact

Karen N. Peart: karen.peart@yale.edu, 203-980-2222