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Far too often, high school students do not get adequate exposure to scientific literature and research presentations until college, leaving many unsure about the true process from experimentation to scientific discovery. In an effort to merge research and presentation experience together, Saint Louis University's American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (SLU ASBMB) chapter has planned and held a High School Research Symposium for students in the greater Saint Louis area. We first reached out to high school faculty and selected 12 students to be a part of this event. All selected students had an interest in STEM fields, such as research and medicine. Each student then constructed either a literature review presentation on a science topic of their choice, or a data compilation of lab work they were involved with. Students were given instructions on choosing a science topic, and many examples were given for reference. At the conclusion of their project, each student compiled their findings into a 200-300 word abstract, a scientific poster, and a slides presentation. These submissions provided students with the opportunity to delve into scientific writing and presentation skills. On the day of the symposium, each student presented their research orally for a maximum of 10 minutes. There was a panel of judges evaluating the presentations on content, style, and scientific analysis, similar to a collegiate-level presentation, and faculty members frequently asked questions after the presentations. Cash prizes were awarded to the 3 best presentations, along with an honorary mention certificate, and each student received a signed certificate for their participation as well. The students were also shown microbiology and cell cancer labs led by Doisy College of Health Sciences (DCHS) Faculty to learn more about the university's research projects and laboratory equipment. The event was free of charge for the students, parents, and faculty who attended, and various volunteers from SLU ASBMB were recruited for help throughout the day. At the end, articles about the event were written and posted to SLU Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, SLU NewsLink, and the SLU ASBMB Chapter website. The SLU ASBMB website also included a compilation of photos, abstracts, and presentations of all the research projects. All students and faculty were surveyed after the event and gave positive feedback, with one high school teacher even saying the symposium was "inspiring the next generation of scientists". SLU ASBMB will continue to host the symposium this year, with a larger outreach committee consisting of ASBMB members, SLU DCHS faculty, and high school teachers in the Saint Louis area. Financial support was received from the ASBMB Student Chapter Membership Fees and the Saint Louis University Student Government Association. Extensive support with planning and providing information was provided by Julie Miller within DCHS.
Srirama et al. (Fri,) studied this question.