Experimentation. Exploration. Innovation. The building blocks of science.
The Bioscience Institute at the Wake Forest Summer Immersion Program is an unforgettable summer experience for high school students. Gain hands-on experience on Wake Forest’s campus while discovering the field of bioscience.
At a Glance
2024 Dates: Week of June 9 – 14 and week of June 23 – 28.
Program Length: Overnight, Sunday – Friday
Tuition: $3,000
Location: Winston-Salem, NC – Wake Forest University Campus
Who Can Apply?: Current 9th – 12th grade students
Online Immersion Program: Study online with Wake Forest anywhere, anytime, at your own pace.
*Courses carry no secondary school or college credit. Upon completion of the program, an official Wake Forest University Certificate of Completion will be awarded to all Bioscience Institute participants.
What You’ll Experience
Topics Covered:
- Environmental Biology & Conservation
- Linking Ecosystem Health to Human Health
- Industrial Biology
- Public Health and Epidemiology
- Animal Anatomy and Physiology
Hands-On Experiences:
- Antibiotic profiling of isolated bacteria
- Microscopy basics
- Explore gardens and nature preserves
- Field trip to wastewater treatment plant
- Animal dissections
A Day in the Life
Typical Daily Schedule
- 8:00 am – Morning Meeting and Breakfast
- 9:00 am – Welcome and Introduction
- 9:30 am – Synthesis of Aspirin and Wintergreen Lab Experiment
- 10:00 am – Topic: Introduction to Environmental Biology
- 10:45 am – Break
- 10:55 am – Demonstration: Microbiology of Soil
- 11:15 am – Collection: Soil and Water Sample
- 12:30 pm – Topic: Introduction to Sustainability and Plant-Forward Initiatives
- 1:00 pm – Activity: Campus Garden Lunch
- 1:15 pm – Lunch
- 2:00 pm – Campus Garden Tour
- 2:45 pm – Q&A
- 3:15 pm – Lab: Isolation of Bacteria from Soil and Water
- 4:15 pm – Debrief and Reflections
- 5:30 pm – Dinner
- 6:30 pm – Evening Activities
- 7:30 pm – Free Time
- 9:00 pm – Prepare for Bed
- 10:00 pm – Lights Out
*The “A Day in the Life” sample schedule is subject to change.
Meet the Academic Leader
Dr. Anna Parker
Academic Leader, Bioscience Institute
Dr. Parker is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Biology Department at Wake Forest University, where she teaches Field Biology and Evolution. Dr. Parker received her PhD in Biology from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2023, her MS in Zoology from the University of Wyoming in 2019, and her BS in Biology and BA in Chemistry from the University of Rochester in 2016. Dr. Parker researches the effects of global change on plant-insect interactions, and her teaching centers evidenced-based practices that improve equity, inclusion, and access.