This free, intensive four-week program provides hands-on materials science research experience and college-level academic skill development at an Ivy League institution.
The Penn Summer Science Initiative (PSSI) is a free, four-week intensive program for high school students interested in materials science and engineering. Sponsored by the Penn Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), the program offers a blend of formal lectures from Penn faculty and affiliated researchers, hands-on materials science workshops, and lab report writing seminars. Students gain practical experience through weekly lab experiments, learning new techniques and getting exposure to various materials characterization methods such as scanning electron and optical microscopies, thermal analysis, mechanical testing, and x-ray diffraction. The curriculum also includes projects, hands-on activities, and field trips to both industrial and Penn facilities, including tours of the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception (GRASP) Laboratory and the Nanoscale Characterization Facility. Participants are expected to work on reports, projects, and other assignments outside of program hours, fostering a deeper understanding of the field and developing valuable academic skills for college.
A typical day runs from approximately 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and may include formal lectures from Penn faculty, materials science workshops, hands-on activities, and lab report writing seminars.
This program is ideal for high school students entering their junior or senior year who have a strong interest in science, particularly materials science and engineering, and have taken chemistry and/or physics courses.
University of Pennsylvania
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