Florida State University Young Scholars Program

The Young Scholars Program (YSP) is a six-week residential science and mathematics summer program for Florida high school students with significant potential for careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Students from every high school in Florida are encouraged to apply and there are over 200 qualified applicants annually for forty positions. Young Scholars engage in program-specific coursework, research, and enrichment activities during their six-week tenure. Each student completes a mathematics course, a programming course, and a science course, each of which meet three times per week. In the research component of the curriculum, each student spends two days per week in an Individual Research Project under the mentorship of a Florida State science faculty member, either on FSU’s main campus, at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, or at FSU’s Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies. The Young Scholars Program was first developed in 1983 and is currently administered by the Office of STEM Teaching Activities (OSTA) in the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida State University. The function of the OSTA is to coordinate all activities related to science and mathematics teaching within the College of Arts and Sciences and to serve as the College's liaison with the College of Education. Over the years OSTA has initiated many activities for K-12 teachers and students, and for undergraduate and graduate students at Florida State University. As well, OSTA faculty members are active in science and mathematics education research. For more information about the Office of STEM Teaching Activities, we encourage you to visit our website (http://bio.fsu.edu/osta/).