OUR VISION
Imagine walking into an office of engineers, a hospital, or a research laboratory and seeing faces that represent the wonderful diversity of our society. BOOST (Building Opportunities and Overtures in Science and Technology), is working to make that vision a reality!
BOOST is a multidimensional program serving Durham Public Schools students in 5th through 8th grades. The program is designed to excite young people about STEM and inspire them to pursue careers in medicine and related fields. BOOST serves underrepresented minorities including African American, Latinx, and Indigenous students; girls; and young people from economically challenged backgrounds.
BOOST is situated within Duke University School of Medicine’s Multicultural Resource Center.
OUR MISSION
BOOST aims to create a pipeline that attracts, engages, supports, and retains underrepresented minority (URM) students in the sciences throughout their pre-collegiate education. We do this by exposing these students and their families to new people, places, and experiences that can open new worlds for them.
Our goals are to:
- Improve the science performance of URM students (particularly African Americans, Native Americans, and Latina/o Americans), female students, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds;
- Upgrade and expand the content of the pre-college science curriculum; and
- Increase the number of URM, female, and economically disadvantaged students prepared for professional education in STEM.
OUR APPROACH
Students receive hands-on, stimulating classroom activities; research projects under the guidance of mentors; overnight and local field trips; a summer science workshop, and other activities through three targeted, age-appropriate programs for elementary, middle, and high school students and their families.
Educators get professional development programs including teacher training workshops, a summer science workshop, science/research forums, and classroom support.
College Students have opportunities to mentor students, teach and provide support in classrooms, and help guide science-based field trips.
Click here to view our value proposition, strategies, and values.
