The program offers a free, multi-year, immersive science enrichment experience with a strong focus on hands-on learning and direct interaction with university researchers, leading to significantly higher rates of college matriculation in STEM fields.
The Space Explorers Program is a free, multi-year science enrichment opportunity for Chicago Public Schools high school students, particularly those underrepresented in STEM. The program, offered by the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) in partnership with the University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement, provides over one hundred contact hours each year. Activities include weekly on-campus laboratories, three-day winter institutes, and week-long residential summer science institutes. Participants engage with college-level math and science coursework, meet and work with astronomers and physicists, interact with University faculty, staff, students, and labs, and take part in field trips and lab tours. The curriculum, designed and implemented by a graduate student in Astronomy and Astrophysics or KICP, emphasizes hands-on experimentation and open-ended problem-solving, fostering valuable teaching, communication, and teamwork skills. The program aims to cultivate future scholars and has a strong track record of graduates pursuing STEM fields in college.
A typical day involves short lectures to establish scientific fundamentals, followed by extensive time in labs designing prototypes, conducting experiments, and engaging in hands-on problem-solving.
This program is best for Chicago Public Schools high school students interested in STEM, especially those who will be first-generation college students or come from low-income households, and who are eager for a sustained, immersive science enrichment experience.
William Eckhardt Research Center, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Room 599, Chicago, IL 60637
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