“One of the most valuable experiences a gifted student can have is exposure to a mentor who is willing to share personal values, a particular interest, time, talent and skills. When the experience is properly structured and the mentor is a good match for the student, the relationship can provide both mentor and student with encouragement, inspiration, new insights and other personal rewards”. This eloquently put statement by Sandra Berger in her article encapsulates what our student’s takeaways have been from EXPLORE Mentor program.

We know that being a gifted child can be difficult. They can experience self-doubt and low self-esteem as they attempt to understand their abilities and navigate relationships and experiences among their peers, often feeling misunderstood and unseen.

This is where a role model in the form of a mentor can be beneficial to a gifted child. Mentors allow children trying to understand their unique gifts and talents an avenue to share interests, passions, thoughts and doubts in a constructive, supportive space.

This is what we aim to do in the , by intentionally matching Externs and Mentors that they may thrive, experiencing validation and support by someone who understands and can guide them.

At the culmination of EXPLORE each year, Externs share the impact of the program and how their mentor has helped shape their career aspirations, given them the confidence to follow their dreams, and provided them with useful tools that will enrich their professional and interpersonal experiences in the future.

Here is what they had to say about their mentors.

鈥淭he most important things I learned, from Dr. Yeh, were the hands-on wet-lab techniques and how to turn questions into experiments. Having this experience at a young age allows me a better chance at thriving in my career field.鈥� – Abheerava Koka, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淲orking at SIMA, with Michael and Virginia, I realized how much social impact really means to me, especially in a world where these issues are becoming more prominent and sparking more debates amongst different groups of people. I hope to find a career where I can apply what I鈥檝e learned.鈥� 鈥� Nikki Wu, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淚 learned how to interact with others in a professional manner. Some skills can only be learned in a job environment, which I knew, but this summer reminded me how important 鈥渞eal life鈥� experiences truly are.鈥� 鈥� Cindy Xie, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淲orking with my mentors at Sci-Arc really helped me overcome the shyness in me. Before I struggled to ask for help but know I feel more comfortable doing so.鈥� 鈥� Emily Aguilar Sanchez, EXPLORE 2019

THANK YOU to all our who have dedicated their time and talent to supporting and encouraging the gifted students in this program.

We are excited to share who will be joining us as Mentors for EXPLORE 2020. Thank you to Dr. Christopher Barnes, Dr. Pamela Yeh, Stan Kong, Betty Kassis, Toby Harper, Monica Fernandez, Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, Dr. Aaron Blaisdell, Dr. Sasha Wright and the many more professionals who have committed to mentoring a gifted youth as they explore their passions this summer. We look forward to hearing how you have impacted their lives this year.

about the 2020 EXPLORE Program. 优蜜视频 is also still looking for qualified mentors to join the 2020 cohort. Email us at explore@educationaladvancement.org if you are interested in becoming an EXPLORE mentor.

This summer, I had the chance to intern at the Institute for Educational Advancement. The eight-week internship went beyond my expectations. I learned so much more than I could have asked for, whether that was figuring out how to entertain Academy students or learning how to juggle different tasks. In the past, I usually had one mentor to guide me throughout my internship. It was different when I entered 优蜜视频. I worked with multiple staff members, learning something new from them each day. I felt like everyone was a mentor to me in some way or another. However, Ni帽a was my main mentor. She not only trained me to be an intern, but also to be a role model for other students. Her kindness, patience and selflessness really spoke volumes to me during this entire process, and I look up to her for that.

My role as an intern included helping both , an academic program tailored towards gifted elementary and middle school students, and , an externship program that immersed high school students into a professional field of their choice. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I would be based at the Academy site, where I would take pictures, watch over the students during their breaks, attend to their needs, assist the other staff members and work on any additional tasks. Interacting with the younger students made me realize that a person should never be judged by his or her age. The brightness and intelligence these students exuded really shone in the classroom and in the relationships they formed with their peers.

Once I finished with Academy tasks, I would then work on EXPLORE, which included recording any budget-related expenses, updating the databases and prepping for the workshops. I also checked, processed and formatted the students鈥� assignments before compiling them into their very own E-portfolios. Overall, I鈥檓 proud of these students for all their hard work. Their E-portfolios reflected the progress they had made over their weeks with the program.

On Fridays, I would switch gears. Instead of being at Academy, I would go on various excursions with Ni帽a and EXPLORE students. Some of the places we visited included Cal Tech, USC and the Arts District. On the first week of EXPLORE, we took a 鈥淕reen Muffin鈥� tour, exploring the heart of Downtown LA. I even went through my very first escape room experience that left me feeling stumped yet exhilarated. My group was so close to escaping! In the weeks following, I sat in on the EXPLORE workshops, where I learned about public speaking, networking, resume-building and the college application process.

Knowing that my time was limited with these students, I tried to make the most out of the workshops we had by getting to know each one of them. I found that the students were not only vocal about their opinions but were also creative in their own little ways. During lunch, the students would separate into their own tight-knit groups, with one group socializing and the other group playing cards. Although both groups had two very different dynamics, they came together quite nicely. The students were very accepting of each other and tried to include everyone in the group discussions and activities. These moments of collaboration made me think of myself as an EXPLORE extern once again.

It鈥檚 strange to think that I went from being an EXPLORE extern to an 优蜜视频 intern. Instead of going through the program, I was now helping to prepare for it. I鈥檒l never forget 优蜜视频 and the impact it has had on my life. 优蜜视频 has given me the tools and confidence I鈥檒l need to succeed in life and in the future. I know that if I ever need advice, support, encouragement, or just someone to talk to, I can always rely on any of the 优蜜视频 staff members. Although my internship is over, the journey isn鈥檛 over for me just yet. I鈥檓 planning on volunteering with 优蜜视频 throughout the school year. Who knows where the organization will lead me next? I鈥檓 excited to find out!

You can view many of Kaitlyn鈥檚 photo from this Summer on 优蜜视频鈥檚 . Check out the and photo albums to see photos of her experience this Summer.

In July of last year, I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, an ethnomusicology professor at UCLA, at Apsara Media. I helped Dr. Amy with her work with the Sidi people, an African, Sufi minority in India. In particular, I was involved with the Sidi Literacy Project, a program that sets out to better the Sidi community through education, editing Dr. Amy鈥檚 footage from her last visit to India. Aside from working on the project, I had the opportunity to read books and watch documentaries on the group every day in an effort to understand the music and customs of the Sidi people.

During this externship, Dr. Amy has shown me that in order to serve my community and improve the world that I live in, it is imperative to understand life from the point of view of others. In understanding more about Sidi culture, I realized that the pressing matters discussed in the footage I was editing began to make more sense, as it not only presented conflict but also posed an answer to the question, 鈥淲hy is this happening?鈥� Many social injustices and violations of human rights look to 鈥渃ulture鈥� as its scapegoat. Just because actions are justified in the name of culture, in the name of a god, does not make them just.

Still, there is much value and beauty in culture. Cultural practices help shape our world into a conglomerate of individuals, not a group that enforces uniformity. In order to be true to our roots, learn from mistakes of the past, and embrace where we come from, culture must be preserved. To resolve conflict in our country and in other nations, it is important to find a balance between innovation and tradition. That balance can only be established with widespread education and a genuine interest to understand another group of people.

How are we supposed to reach resolution when the question of 鈥渨hy?鈥� hasn鈥檛 been answered yet? I realized that, at times, many social injustices originate from varying cultures; however, I believe that the reason they still exist and continue to spread is because of our inability to look at culture as a viable inhibitor for basic human rights. It is only when we understand this idea and step into the shoes of others that we can find a balance between culture and progress. In doing so, we can find a solution to inequality that does not impose our own value system on others, a solution that holds both culture and social justice equal to each other.

Last summer, I realized that there is a way that I can be a force for good in my community. Through the many days she鈥檚 spent watching documentaries with me, through the days she spent translating Gujarati into English with me, through the visit she brought me on to the ethnomusicology department at UCLA, and through the Sidi Literacy Project and her other research, Dr. Amy taught me that. I鈥檝e realized that the most effective mentors are those who have challenged me to wonder why things are the way they are, to allow my passions to guide me, and to inspire others to want to do better for the world that we live in. I am so thankful to Dr. Amy for her encouragement and for opening up a different world to me.

Want to experience a hands-on externship under the guidance of an experienced mentor this summer? ! Applications for the 2019 program are due April 9, 2019.

Read Part 1 of this series .

Going into high school, I was dead set on becoming an engineer. Although art was one of my passions, I never really realized what value my art skills held and what I could potentially use it for on a professional level. However, my perspective on creative careers and my future plans changed when I attended the Institute for Educational Advancement鈥檚 at , under the mentorship of Professor Stan Kong.

I applied for the product design site of this program. The funny thing is, though, was that I didn鈥檛 know what product design was at all – or the essence of design. I just knew that the program would teach basic sketching and rendering skills as the description mentioned, which was enough to pique my interest. Despite this, I ended up learning so much more.

In the first week at ArtCenter, I learned about the product design industry, the design process and business-oriented techniques and experiences. I was surprised to discover how diverse, versatile and vast product design is as a field, in addition to how the design process resembled the scientific method; it begins with a prompt, followed by research, reformulation of prompt or objective, and a cycling between ideation, development and testing until, finally, production.

One of the biggest things I took away from the first week was how to work and thrive in a company. Communication, collaboration, understanding 鈥� these are all important to obtaining success in the industry. And I know because we actually did a project that resembled the experience of working in a company in which we had to work with others to create a flashlight design that satisfied the needs of a particular consumer. In teams, we interviewed our client, researched materials and resources, elaborated on different ideas and pitched our design. Being familiar with your client, demographic, competitors and the market place was the key to success. For me it was challenging to manage so many ideas in a group, to eliminate what was impractical and to agree on a particular vision. It鈥檚 through this first-hand experience, though, that I learned how work with others better, whether it was in EXPLORE or outside of it.

In the following weeks, we worked on more collaborative projects, like designing lunchboxes and water bottles, and we all improved in communicating and understanding. We learned more about the industry, like branding and advertising. However, we also learned about ArtCenter itself by exploring all their offered majors and what it felt like to be a college student.

The whole experience was so fun, stimulating, and enriching in that I not only learned, but experienced the product design process, business and marketing and ArtCenter. And it was so much better that I experienced this with peers who were funny, talented, and ambitious; I鈥檒l remember all the laughs and the trip on the ArtCenter shuttle where we played games the entire way back. I also had the pleasure of being taught skills and life lessons from Stan鈥檚 personal experiences that I鈥檒l take with me in the future.

Because I joined the 优蜜视频 EXPLORE Externship at ArtCenter, I鈥檝e become a better collaborator, presenter, artist and life-long learner. I plan to study and pursue product, industrial or interactive design in the future. In fact, I hope to be admitted to one of the several colleges to which I applied to study both engineering and design, two passions I鈥檝e learned were anything but exclusive. For now, I鈥檒l be attending , a program that EXPLORE introduced me to.

I hope that my experience encourages others to explore their interests or overlooked passions to discover what the world has to offer 鈥� and what they can offer to the world.

Want to experience a hands-on externship under the guidance of an experienced mentor this summer? ! Applications for the 2019 program are due April 9, 2019.

Are you a high school student looking for a dynamic, challenging summer experience? Look no further than the ! Here are five reasons why you should join us this summer.

1. Hands-On Experience

鈥�I learned what a career in research looks like, I gained a lot of confidence from being independent and verbally participating in meetings, I gained lots of experience in the field of data science. These are all important because they have helped me grow personally and academically and set me apart from other students.鈥� -2016 Alum

EXPLORE externs don鈥檛 get the stereotypical intern experience of fetching coffee, doing routine office work and entering data. Instead, they get a unique, hands-on opportunity to assist with research at prominent institutions across Los Angeles. Additionally, they gain first-hand knowledge about working in a professional setting.

2. Intellectually-Challenging Placements

聽鈥淏efore I started the program, I had no prior work experience, so I didn鈥檛 really know what to expect [鈥while this externship was no doubt challenging, it did help bolster my confidence in my own abilities [鈥 that I do have the proper skill set to succeed within this industry.鈥�-2017 Alum

Designed for advanced learners, . Students have an opportunity to work in university laboratories and professional environments where they help to conduct research aimed at solving real-world problems. 聽They are challenged to discover their talents and are encouraged to pursue their full potential.

3. Grow Your Network

鈥�I feel EXPLORE really addresses the importance of networking and explained how to do so very well and showed the importance of teamwork.鈥� -2017 Alum

Through the EXPLORE program, students build a strong support system that can last a lifetime. They can make connections with mentors and organization employees who can provide educational guidance and personal insights in the career field, and become part of a community of like-minded peers who share similar goals and passions . They also learn the importance of networking and how to expand their professional connections.

4. Personal and Professional Growth

鈥�I learned many things I didn鈥檛 previously know about myself. One of these is that, when given space and time and I put in my full effort, I can be very creative and productive.鈥�-2017 Alum

Students spend the summer strengthening their professional skills by immersing themselves in stimulating and intensive learning experiences and working alongside leaders and experts in their particular field of study. Once a week, they join with fellow externs to participate in college and career workshops focused on topics such as public speaking, applying to college, interviewingand resume writing. Both aspects of the extern experience aim to encourage students to actualizetheir full professional and personal potential.

5. Guidance from Distinguished Professionals

鈥淚 really enjoyed seeing a young, hopeful, intelligent and hard-working student. It made me believe that our future is in good hands and minds!鈥�-EXPLORE Mentor

One of the most unique aspects of the EXPLORE program is that it matches high school students with in their field of choice, something normally reserved for students at the university level. These mentors provide guidance that we hope will last long beyond the duration of the program.

Are you ready to EXPLORE this summer? Apply by April 16^th to join this summer鈥檚 cohort!

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In ninth grade, while studying for midterms and slogging through term papers, I started daydreaming about how I wanted to spend my summer. 聽Ideally, I wanted to do scientific research, but given my age, I wasn鈥檛 sure what types of opportunities were available. 聽That鈥檚 when I learned about , which offers high school students a chance to work with distinguished mentors doing hands-on research in many different fields for three and six-week externships during the summer. I sent in my application to 优蜜视频, interviewed, and to my surprise, I was accepted into this prestigious program.

In the EXPLORE program, I worked as an extern for four days a week onsite with my mentor and research team and then attended career-oriented workshops off-site once a week. During these weekly seminars, industry leaders lead discussions in regards to interviewing skills, resume writing, presentation skills, and applying to college. The program was launched and coordinated with the assistance of 优蜜视频鈥檚 Ms. Ni帽a Abonal, who matched up students to mentors as well as helped organize our meetings. Before our externship, we learned about the layout of our worksite and completed any training needed to work safely onsite at the university research labs. The externships were at various locations and college campuses in the Los Angeles area and included opportunities in diverse areas, including the sciences, arts, and humanities.

As an 优蜜视频 extern, I enjoyed attending the weekly workshops, and it also gave me the chance to meet other high school externs and to learn about their projects in diverse fields such as computer science, medical research, and the arts. For my externship, I worked with Dr. Van Savage and his research team at UCLA for three weeks to develop mathematical computer-based models of vascular networks. This externship gave me the opportunity to assist with ongoing research that will lead to improved diagnosis of abnormalities such as cancers and circulatory diseases, which are leading causes of human suffering, illness, and death. Currently, the standard way for doctors to detect and identify these types of abnormalities is visually, which is not always accurate or reliable. I relished the opportunity to develop a computer model based on mathematical principles. What made the project particularly unique for me was combining the computer model with MRI data from living organisms to detect vascular abnormalities far sooner than is currently available.

It amazes me that mentors such as Dr. Savage volunteer to work with high school students, and I did my best to show my appreciation by being flexible and willing to help the team however needed. In working with Dr. Savage, I was able to gain knowledge of the area we researched, as well as a big-picture understanding of both where I fit into the project and where the project fits into the larger body of the research. Although Dr. Savage was busy leading multiple research projects, he still found the time to help and even have lunch with us. Dr. Savage also gave me the opportunity to work closely with his team, and the externs were integrated into the daily research process and supervised by Dr. Savage and other post-doctoral researchers on his group. The biggest surprise was to see my picture and bio included on Dr. Savage鈥檚 website of people on his research team, which includes post-graduate, graduate, college, and other high school students.

I appreciate that Dr. Savage showed me how I could use my interests and skills to give back to my community by applying abstract knowledge learned in school to help improve the lives of others. I would recommend 优蜜视频鈥檚 EXPLORE program because it encourages and challenges students to achieve new goals and to explore alternative fields of study. It also helps students gain a realistic perspective of a premier university research environment as well as affording students the opportunity to expand their network of academic mentors.

Would you like to be connected with a professional mentor this summer? Applications are due by April, 16th.

Read Part 1 of the series .

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优蜜视频鈥檚 EXPLORE program is in full swing! This year, the selection and placement process was especially competitive as students vied for a chance to work with distinguished mentors and sites willing to host only a selected number of students. In addition to meeting site specific pre-requisites, applicants underwent a rigorous application process which included participating in a phone interview and submitting two letters of recommendation, two essays, a professional resume, academic transcripts, standardized test scores, and sample work.

After students were vetted and selected for the program, they were thoughtfully matched with mentors who shared similar passions in their career field of interest and had professional trajectories externs hoped to pursue in the future. In the end, 20 exceptional students were placed to work and conduct college level research at eight mentor sites throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Each student demonstrated excellence in education, strong leadership skills, a passion for learning, and a desire to continuously challenge themselves. Mentors who saw their extern鈥檚 profile and resume were impressed at how accomplished and adept these young people were, despite only being in high school.

To prepare Cohorts 1 and 2 for their externship experience, students participated in a weekend orientation at . They had an opportunity to get acquainted with their peers, engage in team building activities, including a scavenger hunt around UCLA, and participate in a professional development workshop focused on strengthening their communication, conflict management, and networking skills. Students offered great insights during discussions and contributed their talents and knowledge to various activities throughout the day. Following the orientation students hit the ground running as they delved into their mentor鈥檚 research and worked to develop their final research projects. In a few more weeks, nine students from Cohort 3 will begin their externship experience at the .

As a new component of EXPLORE, students meet every Friday to attend educational excursions and workshops geared towards building their college and career readiness. Workshops not only provide a supportive forum for externs for share their triumphs and challenges from the work week, but they also allow externs 聽to learn from experts who share their insights about finding the right college fit, writing personal narratives for college, interviewing and writing resumes, assessing personality and career fit, and developing financial literacy. This addition has proved to be a wonderful way to create a strong sense of community among brilliant, like-minded young people.

With only a few more weeks left, students will soon be culminating from EXPLORE and presenting their final research projects at the EXPLORE Culmination ceremonies on July 27^th and August 11^th. If you鈥檙e curious about the great work these students are doing, please join us in the celebration during 优蜜视频鈥檚 Summer Spotlight event!

EXPLORE would not be possible without the generosity of time, knowledge, and expertise of our dedicated mentors. We appreciate the continued support and dedication of our mentors and would like to extend our gratitude to EXPLORE 2017 Mentors:

If you are a 9^th-11^th grade high school student who would like to gain hands-on experience and study a specific career field of interest, consider applying to EXPLORE next summer! Check out the for updates about deadlines and future mentor sites.

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