Developing a Rural High School Outreach Program

Rural high schools face significant challenges in providing their students with exposure to scientific careers. This is due in part to their limited access to scientific outreach and educational programs, for example, science camps, which are generally held at higher education institutions. To address this problem, we have begun developing a rural outreach program in collaboration with a high school in Alberta, Canada. The focus of this program is to broaden student knowledge of scientific careers and to prepare them for success by increasing their access to STEM educational opportunities. Preliminary work will be presented, including discussions on establishing connections with rural schools and creating impactful activities for students. Additionally, considerations that must be made to develop a long-lasting, self-sufficient program will be discussed.