There is a serious dearth of female and minority representation in the sciences. To help remedy this problem, we carefully developed a program called TREE (Turtle Camp Research and Education in Ecology). We seeded the program with high school students from Iowa and Illinois, along with undergraduate and graduate students, comprising an economically and racially diverse group.
Participants converged at a field site (Turtle Camp) in June of both 2007, 2008, and 2009 (totaling 17 HS students, 8 undergraduate students, 6 graduate students, and 2 post doctorates over the three years). At Turtle Camp, students worked toward four main goals: research experience, education, local outreach, and mentoring. We measured the success of the TREE program through student evaluations and feedback. TREE participants were asked to evaluate their experiences with the program through an anonymous survey.
Results/Conclusions TREE provided an excellent environment for advancing interest in, and knowledge of, science and for influencing career plans of the participants. The program utilized the extensive local diversity in reptiles to allow students to receive hands-on experience with research. Comparing the average responses pre- and post-program, it appears that the TREE program was most successful in increasing students’ knowledge about ecology of the Midwest, research, and the importance and significance of ecology. Overall, TREE provides an excellent environment for advancing interest in, and knowledge of, science and ecology and for positively influencing career plans of the participants.
