Young Scholars Program

The Young Scholars Program engages middle- and elementary-age youth in hands-on STEM and cancer research experiences to cultivate a sense of enjoyment and capability in science.

About the Young Scholars Program

The Young Scholars Program, offered annually, is a joint educational and outreach venture initiated in 2021 by Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in collaboration with KID Museum, the nation’s leading center for maker learning, located in Bethesda, Maryland.

The program’s goal is to fully engage middle- and elementary-aged youth in hands-on STEM and cancer research experiences. This will help lay the foundation for early enjoyment of and capability in science. The program is supported, in part, by Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant (NCI P30 CA051008), the David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation, and the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.

Each year, students in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area spend a day at KID Museum. KID Museum’s experienced Maker Educators engage students in a series of hands-on, project-based experiences, where students are able to explore and discover bio-tinkering, biological sciences and cancer biology content. Georgetown Lombardi research mentors with expertise in cancer biology and prevention support the program as volunteers, working with students in their workshops throughout the day.

The Young Scholars Program is strongly aligned with the mission of Georgetown Lombardi’s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) component, which proactively engages the greater Washington, D.C., area to address cancer priorities.

“Early exposure to exciting and meaningful science experiences needs to start as early in the learning process as possible.”

— Rebecca Riggins, PhD, Associate Professor of Oncology and Associate Director of Education and Training, Georgetown Lombardi

Dr. Riggins assists a young Black student with programming a laptop

Scenes From Young Scholars Program Sessions

At all sessions, Young Scholars engage with Georgetown Lombardi mentors at KID Museum.

  • A woman and two young boys smile while the boys sit at a table with microscopes
  • Dr. Kim speaks with three young boys of various races
  • A Georgetown Lombardi volunteer assists two boys with their project
  • Emma wearing a Georgetown Lombardi T-shirt assists a young Latina girl with her project
  • A young Black girl reads a laptop screen while two other people look on
  • A young Black boy looks at an object he's made while another boy looks on
  • Ayesha assists two young students with a microscope
  • Becca Riggins and Ken Tercyak look on as three students do an activity at a table
  • A young Latina girl builds a model sunshade
  • Olga holds a heat gun to a project that a young boy has made

Program Impact

Statistics calculated from school years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 for Grades 3-5.

About the Students Served

51%Female
43%Black/African American
47%Hispanic/Latiné

Key Findings

93%of Participants Indicated STEM Interest
93%of Participants Indicated Cancer Biology Knowledge

Tercyak KP, Yockel MR, Eyl J, Dash C, Jones-Davis D, Sleiman MM Jr, Manfred L, Stone D, Howenstein K, Harley DF, Liu M, Scharon CJ, Phillips A, Riggins RB. Leveraging Maker Learning in STEM to Promote Children’s Interest in Cancer Research: A Pilot Program. J Cancer Educ. 2024 Apr 24. doi: 10.1007/s13187-024-02445-6. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38658518.

Young Scholars Program Sponsors

Support for the program comes from Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center Support Grant (NCI P30 CA051008), the David Kelby Johnson Memorial Foundation, and the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.

Program Curriculum

The KID Museum/Georgetown Lombardi Bio-Tinkering Workshop is a one-day field trip that provides students with an opportunity to explore biology and health concepts through a variety of maker-focused activities. Through these activities, students learn about key cancer prevention topics, deepening their understanding about how they can make choices about their own health and wellness to prevent cancer. Students will practice the scientific method and the engineering design process, gain skills in coding and fabrication, and learn how their everyday decisions can impact their health.

Students engage in a series of activities and workshops:

  • Cardboard Sun Structures
  • Microscope Making
  • Immune Response Coding
  • Environmental Biology Case Study
View More About the Program Curriculum
Dr. Dash converses with a young Black girl who is looking at a laptop

“The Young Scholars Program offers a pipeline to science careers in the future.”

— Chiranjeev Dash, MBBS, PhD, MPH, Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement and Associate Professor of Oncology at Georgetown Lombardi

FAQ

The Young Scholars Program is a hands-on, maker-based learning experience designed for elementary and middle school students. It focuses on STEM education, including cancer biology and prevention, and aims to inspire students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue careers in science and medicine.

Schools that qualify for local, state, or federal financial assistance, such as Title I schools, are eligible to participate.

To express interest, a representative from an eligible school may complete this interest form or email the Young Scholars Program directly at cancerresearchtraining@georgetown.edu. Please contact us in the early fall to schedule a field trip for the academic school year.

The program features a brief orientation session provided by the KID Museum and an in-person field trip to the museum for up to 100 students per day. Lunch and snacks are provided for all participating schools.

No, the Young Scholars Program is offered at no cost to eligible and participating schools.

Yes, round-trip bus transportation is provided from your school to the museum at no cost. The program generally accommodates schools within a 30- to 45-minute commute from the museum in Bethesda, Maryland. The museum is fully accessible to students with disabilities.

The program runs during the academic school year, Monday through Friday, on dates scheduled by program staff. Each field trip lasts the equivalent of a school day and students will return to school prior to their regular dismissal time.

The Young Scholars Program was co-created and is administered by KID Museum in Bethesda, Maryland, and Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.

For more details, please email cancerresearchtraining@georgetown.edu with “Young Scholars Program” in the subject line.

A group of volunteers wearing Georgetown Lombardi T-shirts stands together at the KID Museum
A group of faculty, staff and student volunteers from Georgetown Lombardi. Pictured are volunteers from 2024.

Support the Young Scholars Program

Your gift to Georgetown Lombardi on behalf of the Young Scholars Program will help ensure high-impact STEM and cancer-research exposure to students in Title I elementary schools.

Give Now in Support of the Young Scholars Program

NOTE: To direct your gift appropriately, please click the button above to go to the giving form, then scroll down to the “Other” category and enter “CRTEC Fund – Young Scholars Program” in the space provided. For assistance, please contact Georgetown Lombardi Advancement at 202-687-2222.