We created a program where Regis University students mentor Arrupe Jesuit High School students as the high school students design and complete their senior science capstone projects. Arrupe Jesuit High School is in the Cristo Rey network with several requirements for attendance: students’ families must make below a certain income, students and families must be committed to and support the college-prep curriculum, and students must be work-ready as the corporate work study requires that students work five days a week, which pays for about 55% of their tuition. This community-based learning project helps our Regis students understand how they can be of service to others with their knowledge in science and strengthens their scientific communication skills. Arrupe Jesuit High School students complete the capstone as the final requirement for passing their senior science class.
Results/Conclusions
In 2018, 82 students Arrupe Jesuit High School students and 14 Regis University students participated in the mentorship program. We assessed the experience further for both sets of students. All (100%) of the Regis University students commented that the experience was positive, while only 54 out of 82 high school students (66%) commented that the experience was positive. We found that common challenges were time management, explaining statistics, and creating and delivering presentations. This science capstone helped high school students pursue their own questions in science and as such, they were more motivated by the capstone project than other science assignments. Additionally, 30% of the students reported feeling more confident for college after completing their capstone.