Apprenticeship Program
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In September of 2000, the Apprenticeship Program was highlighted on an "Eye on America" segment of the CBS News with Dan Rather. A former mentor of the Apprenticeship Program, Dr. Paul MacCready (named by Time as "One of the 100 Most Influential Thinkers of the 20th Century") said, "If you can unleash the minds of kids... then there is a good chance the world will work." Participants of the Apprenticeship Program unleash their minds when working in real-world environments where they are encouraged to learn creative problem-solving techniques and realize the fullest potential of their intelligence.
As an Apprentice, you will:
- Work with a team of scientists, researchers, artists or industry professionals
- Apply your knowledge and skills in "real world" situations
- Maximize your intellectual and personal potential
- Use your gifts to serve the greater good of society
- Learn creative problem-solving techniques that will translate to any career
- Work in small groups that allow you to develop teambuilding skills
- Develop positive life-changing associations with other highly gifted and creative students and adults
- Make new friends with peers who share your interests, desires, and ambitions
Apprentices reside in dormitories on college and university campuses for the duration of the program. This experience gives participants the opportunity to sample some of the aspects of college life.
The gathering of Apprentices from several different programs in one residential area creates a unique community of highly motivated students where exchange of ideas is encouraged.
Additionally, the location of the Apprenticeship sites allows for exciting exploration of nearby metropolitan areas such as Washington D.C., San Francisco and Los Angeles.
IEA ensures that Apprentices are supervised by adults throughout the program. All participants work with mentors and their colleagues during the day. Apprentices are supervised by IEA staff throughout the evening and on the weekends.
2010 Apprenticeship Program Dates
Los Angeles
4 week program: June 27 to July 24
3 week program: June 27 to July 17
San Francisco
3 week program: June 20 to July 10
2010 Sites & Mentors
Law & Order at the Los Angeles Superior Court - The Apprentices will work at courthouses within Los Angeles County for four weeks assisting Superior Court administration and other courthouse staff with their daily duties. Apprentices will sit in on trials, have opportunities to speak with the judges about their careers and education, as well as gain an insiders peek into the reality of the justice system. A variety of workshops and hands-on tasks will provide an in-depth overview of the legal system in action. Apprentices may even have an opportunity to meet and speak with high profile Los Angeles attorneys. Prerequisites: interest in Government and Politics, demonstrated leadership, patience and self-motivation. Applicants must also be 16 years or older at start of the program to be placed at this site.
Laminate Materials Project at the Avery Dennison Research Center in Pasadena - During this three week program, an Apprenticeship will be involved in the development of very high performance adhesive tapes that could potentially be used in industrial and transportation applications. Development will generally entail a multifaceted effort that would typically include polymer synthesis, adhesive formulation, supporting theoretical modeling, literature searching and extensive testing of fundamental (physical, spectroscopic, rheological, etc.) as well as functional performance characteristics that attempt to simulate real life use conditions. The Apprentice will get exposure to, as well as experience in, a wide range of capabilities including literature searching, testing, reporting, analytical thinking, and team work that can potentially all help lead to successful commercialization of products.
Scientific Computing at the California Institute of Technology* - Apprentices will work with Dr. Brent Fultz and his group on computational materials physics. For four weeks, Apprentices will learn how a large, object-oriented software development project is run, and will help in a number of ways depending upon their interest. Previously, Apprentices have installed, tested and compared graphics programs, tested installation procedures for different computers, looked for inconsistencies in instructions, and provided the research team with valuable opinions on what was easy and what was not. For more information on Dr. Fultz's research on Distributed Data Analysis for Neutron Scattering Experiments, please visit: http://wiki.cacr.caltech.edu/danse/index.php/Main_Page
Prerequisites: Prior programming experience. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older at the start of the program to be placed at this site.
Industrial Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena - The industrial design profession encompasses the fields of product transportation and environmental design. Automobiles, sporting goods, electronics, toys/games, fashion, house wares, medical products, entertainment and furniture are just some of the products that industrial designers create. During this three week program, Apprentices will gain insight into this profession through the undertaking of design projects. Students will learn design methodologies including research, concept development, refinement and final design and presentation. Students will be introduced to basic sketching and modeling techniques and also will also attend presentations by professional designers. Prerequisites: Basic skills in sketching or alternate art form, an interest in pursuing art, demonstrated patience, time-management and self-motivation.
Pediatric Medical Research at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - During this four week program, Apprentices will work in the laboratory of Dr. Henri Ford and Dr. Jeffrey Upperman of Pediatric Surgery at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Students will study the pathogenesis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis, a devastating intestinal disease of premature infants. The students will work with experts in intestinal physiology, molecular biology and functional genomics. The focus of the research activity will be to look at molecular pathways that predispose the intestinal barrier to destruction. Students will present their findings at the end of the program to mentors and their colleagues. Prerequisites: courses completed in biology and/or other sciences, interest in medicine, demonstrated leadership, organization and time-management skills.
Sites will be updated daily as they are confirmed. Please check the Apprenticeship page frequently for the most updated list of sites and mentors!
Below are previous Apprenticeship Program sites that we hope to add for 2010!
Applied Physics at the National Science Foundation Center for the Science and Engineering of Materials at the California Institute of Technology* - The Atwater research group is engaged in interdisciplinary materials and device research, spanning photonics and electronics with applications in Si-based photonics, plasmonics, renewable energy and mechanically active thin film devices. Prerequisites: course completion in Physics and/or other sciences, and interest in science and ingenuity. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older at the start of the program to be placed at this 3 week Apprenticeship site.
Materials Science I at the National Science Foundation Center for the Science and Engineering of Materials at the California Institute of Technology* - During this three week program, an Apprentice will work with Dr. Dale Conner. Dr. Conner conducts research on non-equilibrium and metastable materials. During the last decade, his team has developed unusual metallic alloys which fail to crystallize during solidification at low cooling rates, thus forming "bulk" glasses. Research on the liquid alloys includes fundamental studies of rheology, atomic diffusion, crystallization kinetics, liquid/liquid phase separation, and the glass transition. Research on the solid "glassy" materials includes studies of elastic properties, and mechanisms of deformation, flow, and fracture. The group has developed composite materials which employ a metallic glass matrix to achieve unusual combinations of properties for structural engineering applications. Prerequisites: course completion of Physics and/or other sciences, an interest in engineering, curiosity and a willingness to learn. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older at the start of the program to be placed at this site.
Materials Science II at the National Science Foundation Center for the Science and Engineering of Materials at the California Institute of Technology* - An Apprentice will work with Dr. Julia Greer in this three week program to explore the nanomechanical characterization of materials, material properties at nano-scale, and the collective behavior of individual defects and material microstructure. Prerequisites: One year of Physics, one year of Chemistry, and advanced Math coursework. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older at the start of the program to be placed at this site.
Materials Science III at the National Science Foundation Center for the Science and Engineering of Materials at the California Institute of Technology* - An Apprentice will work with Dr. Guruswami Ravichandran in this three week program. Dr. Ravichandran's research focuses on the mechanics of materials including active materials and structures (ferroelectrics, shape memory alloys, MEMS), biomaterials, bulk metallic glasses, composite materials and dynamic deformation and failure behavior of solids. Prerequisites: One year of Physics at the high school level. Applicants must be 16 years of age or older at the start of the program to be placed at this site.
IEA welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions!
Please email us at apprenticeship@educationaladvancement.org.
Tuition costs for the Apprenticeship Program are: $3,100 for the three week program and $4,100 for the four week program. There is no fee to apply and early applicants whose materials are received by March 30, 2010 and who are accepted to the program will receive a discount of $100 off the cost of total tuition.
Refer a friend to any 2010 IEA program and receive a $25 discount off the cost of your Apprenticeship Program tuition when he/she attends! (One referral discount per Apprentice; referred student must identify you as the referrer.)
Enrollment packets will be sent after a student is accepted into the program and will include the application for financial aid.
Tuition includes:
- Room and board
- Laboratory fees
- Course materials
- Recreational programs
- Evening entertainment
- Guest lectures
- Weekend activities
Tuition does not include transportation to and from the Apprenticeship Program. Travel arrangements and their associated costs are the responsibility of the family of the Apprentice. IEA provides transportation to and from the airport for Apprentices arriving from out of town. During the program, IEA provides all program-related transportation.
Upon enrollment, a $350 deposit is due to secure the student's space in the program. The remaining tuition is due when the final paperwork is returned to The Institute for Educational Advancement.
Program Feedback
Each year, the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) conducts an extensive evaluation of the Apprenticeship Program. Below are some of the comments extracted from the surveys used during the evaluation period.
Student Survey Responses
"It was a great social experience to interact with different people and it was an amazing academic experience to learn more about my field of interest."
"It was great to be able to develop friendships, not only with other Apprentices, but with my mentor, and also to work on real-life problems in a professional setting."
"I would not trade my summer for anything. The friends I made at work and camp were so genuine and caring and I hope I will see them again. The hospital was AMAZING!"
"I am thankful for the opportunity to take part in this program and to work in a professional environment in an exciting field. It is great to have been at a place like Caltech, which is always on the edge of technological discovery. I had a wonderful time at IEA. The experience I gained from meeting different people from across the nation, as well as from working as an apprentice, is unlike any other I have ever had. I am now more passionate about physics than ever, and I would like to continue studying it in college - hopefully at Caltech. The staff at IEA is doing an amazing job to make this program possible. I appreciate your efforts, and I hope that IEA continues to provide opportunities for high school kids to realize their dreams."
"The most important thing I gained was getting a better understanding of what a job in computer science is really like. It is the most important because it helps me not choose the wrong career path."
"I gained a much wider understanding about design thanks to Stan. This helps me target what I want for my future."
"The most important thing this year was developing relationships within the community I will be working in."
"This program was hands-on and I learn much better that way. Other programs teach you stuff and just let you go, but this program guides you through with everything."
"I learned a lot of stuff that I wouldn't learn at school and I am so satisfied that I am thinking about coming back next year."
"I met a lot of really amazing, intelligent and talented new friends. It was both a humbling and inspiring experience, which helped me understand myself a lot better in some ways."
"I gained new friends, the "college experience", and profound knowledge in the field of mechanical engineering. This is important because these opportunities come very rarely."
"Working in a high school lab is one thing, but being able to work in a professional environment with real scientists on legitimate jobs really gave me a feel for being a professional scientist."
"Overall, this was such an amazing experience. I loved every bit of it: from the hands-on experience in the lab working with DNA, to amazing weekend excursions with such awesome people. I was not expecting to receive such an amazing opportunity to explore the field of molecular biology in a lab this summer, but thanks to this program, I did."
"The people were amazing and a lot more fun than I thought they would be. I also learned an incredible amount in and about the field. It amplified my passion for chemistry!"
"I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Thank you IEA! There really are no words to express how wonderful I thought this program was."
"I learned a lot about the field of professional chemistry and worked very hard. But it wasn't all work & no play. I was able to learn a lot while meeting a few of the most amazing people ever and having lots of fun doing it.'
Parent Survey Responses
"Being exceptionally gifted, [my son] mostly felt bored at school. He was, however, sufficiently challenged at this Apprenticeship Program that he said he wouldn't mind if the program were run longer than 3 weeks. He definitely was engaged."
"She gained a lot of confidence both in dealing with adults and peers. We were amazed at how well she appeared to function at work like a college educated adult."
"Nothing can compare to hands-on experience in a world class environment. . . truly unique program; I could not have scripted it any better!"
"He stepped out of his comfort zone to work in the lab and gained valuable insight in the field. He had the opportunity to do several college tours. He met kids he really liked. He enjoyed seeing LA & surrounding areas."
"She gained a lot of knowledge and confidence in working in a corporate environment, and learned to confidently approach and talk to senior executives."
Mentor Survey Responses
"I enjoyed my interaction with [the Apprentice], and I believe that the program is worthwhile, so the interaction was rewarding in a personal way."
"I gained a renewed passion from working with my Apprentice and the collaboration made the experiment a lot easier than before."
"We have seen our program procedures through a new set of eyes."
"This was the first chance I have had to mentor someone in a professional setting, and I found that it was rewarding and enjoyable. It also put into perspective for me the important role of educational outreach at research universities."
The Institute for Educational Advancement's (IEA) Apprenticeship Program provides gifted high school students with an invaluable and intensive learning experience working in some of the nation's leading universities, corporations and research facilities. For several weeks during the summer, Apprentices work in small groups with other program participants and teams of professionals to gain hands-on experience in real world environments.
Q. Why should I apply to the Apprenticeship Program?
A. You should apply to the Apprenticeship Program if you are interested in gaining hands-on experience working in the field you wish to pursue, if you are excited about the opportunity to experience dorm-living and a taste of college-life, and if you want to be surrounded by your intellectual and creative peers. This program is different from other programs in that you are able to work side-by-side with your mentors on the work they are currently doing versus attending classes.
Q. Am I eligible to apply?
A. You are eligible to apply if 1) you are currently a freshman, sophomore, junior and 2) you meet the prerequisites for your preferred site(s).
Q. Is financial aid available?
A. Yes. Upon acceptance into the program, an enrollment packet will be sent out to families, which includes financial aid forms. In some circumstances there are also merit-based scholarships available. All of this information will be included in the enrollment packet.
Q. Do you accept international students?
A. No. At this time, we are unable to accept international students.
Q. I'm an artist, how do I know if I qualify as a gifted student?
A. There is no test score that determines whether you are a gifted artist. As part of our comprehensive application, we require samples of your work to gauge your skill and perspective as an artist. It is important that you submit works you think are the best representation of your artistic abilities.
Q. What is the deadline to apply?
A. The early application deadline is March 30, 2010 and the final deadline April 30, 2010.
Q. Are there any advantages to applying early?
A. YES! First, if your application is postmarked by March 30, 2010, you are eligible for a discount on your enrollment fee. Also, we begin placing qualified applicants in sites as soon as we receive applications. So, the sooner you apply, the better your chances of being placed in your site of choice.
Q. When will we be notified of our acceptance and placement into the Apprenticeship Program?
A. Apprentices will be notified of their acceptance into the program and site assignment on a rolling basis and not later than early June 2010.
Q. How likely is it that I will get into my preferred site?
A. All of our sites are highly competitive. The sooner your application is received, the higher preference your application will be given. Also, take care when deciding which samples of work you wish to include with your comprehensive application. The more your work demonstrates success and ability in your field of choice, the better your chances of being placed in your preferred site.
Q. Do you have sites outside of Southern California?
A. In 2010 we will have a second site in San Francisco. We are always willing to open new sites if there is a strong demand for them. In previous years we have had sites in Carlisle, PA, Atlanta, GA, and Palo Alto, CA.
*The Apprenticeship Program is not a California Institute of Technology sponsored or endorsed event or activity.
IEA welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions!
Please email us at apprenticeship@educationaladvancement.org. Please include "Apprenticeship" in the subject line.
