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Kentucky State University hosted its annual Summer Apprenticeship Program (SAP) on June 23rd, 2024. SAP formally ended, wrapping up the enriching three-week experiences for students, on Sunday, July 14th, in the Cooperative Extension Building. SAP, a three-week residential camp for high school students, aims to prepare rising junior and senior high school students for college, STEM research, and STEM career pathways. This year, SAP had a good number of participating high school students.

“We are happy to see this number of students for SAP at Kentucky State University this year. I found one of the students is from Texas, which is a surprisingly good thing for SAP,” said Dr. Koffi Akakpo, president of Kentucky State University.

The SAP students were provided with unique opportunities for hands-on learning and professional development. Throughout the program, students were engaged in various activities designed to enhance their interests, skills, and knowledge. SAP provided a combination of hands-on experiences with KSU’s faculty, scientists, researchers, and technical professionals, familiarizing them with college-level instruction, along with fun-filled activities, leading to a comprehensive educational environment. Each student was assigned a single mentor who guided them through their project of interest.

However, SAP was not just about work and study on campus. The apprentices participated in fun activities like swimming at Juniper Hill Aquatic Center in Frankfort, flying drones, canoeing, wildflower walks in EERC, the Big Four Bridge of Louisville, Mammoth Cave, Newport Aquarium in Ohio, July 4th fireworks, cookouts with friends, mentors, counselors, and the program coordinator, and many more.

“We had a great summer of learning, fun, and adventure this year and we suggest others join SAP in the future,” said Elizah Birch, an apprentice of SAP from Lexington, Kentucky. “I was always interested in Aquaculture. When I came to KYSU for SAP, I did not know this would be an unforgettable experience for a lifetime. My interest in joining the aquaculture field has increased. I made friends for a lifetime. I would highly recommend this program to any student. For sure, my sister will come to SAP in two years,” added another apprentice of SAP, Mariah Busch from Bloomington, Indiana.

On the final day, the student project presentations were a highlight of the program, as they exhibited their projects and demonstrated the knowledge and abilities they gained over their apprenticeships. The students’ projects were diverse and outstanding. A list of the projects of the apprentices were as follows:

1. Hangman using Python – Elijah Birch (Mentor : Amrit Nepal)
2. Color Tricker – Geraun Williams (Mentor : Amul Dhungel)
3. Growth Comparison of Lettuce (Latuca sativa) Grown in Aquaponic and Hydroponic Deep-Water Culture (DWC) Systems – Mariah Busch (Mentor: Chelsea Walling)
4. Investigating the highest Influence on Pendulum Period between Length and Mass – Serenity Clarke (Mentor: Samuel Oshikoya)
5. Climate and Natural Calamities: Their Trends and Relations – Taylor Draper (Mentor: Dipesh Oli)
6. Understanding the Relationship Between Facial Expression, Emotions, and Body Movement (non-verbal cues) - Trinity Clarke (Mentor: Shreesha Pandeya)
7. How much Carbon do KYSU campus cars emit? A Simple Analysis – Markus Maze (Mentor: Ife Familusi)

The parents of the apprentices seemed very happy and proud to listen to the experiences of their children’s three-week stay at Kentucky State University. Dr. Bernard officially concluded the program by handing certificates to the students.

One of the parents said, “We were doubtful at first about leaving our child far away from us for three long weeks. But KYSU proved us wrong. She made friends, enjoyed herself, did such a great scientific project, and most importantly, she never felt lonely. Thank you, KYSU, for organizing this summer apprenticeship program. I will surely recommend anyone to join SAP in the future.”

“The students’ passion for their interests, their dedication, and enthusiasm to learn encouraged us to mentor them even better” said Shreesha Pandeya, one of the mentors in SAP.

The students who attended SAP are willing to enroll in KYSU in the fall.

“We are planning and bringing great ideas for next year’s SAP, and, therefore, we expect more students to join SAP next year,” says Dr. Buddhi Gyawali, SAP Director.

The SAP program was coordinated by Ms. Kabita Paudel and Amrit Nepal, both research Associates in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Sciences. The SAP was supported by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant Project Preparing the Pipeline of Next Generation STEM Professionals (Award Number HRD 2011917, PI Dr. Buddhi Gyawali). SAP has been organized every year since 2016 with support from the NSF grant. About 80 SAP apprentices successfully participated from 60 high schools from California, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky.  For more information about SAP and other NSF-grant initiatives, please contact Buddhi R. Gyawali, buddhi.gyawali@kysu.edu; Kabita Paudel, Kabita.paudel1@kysu.edu, and Mr. Amrit Nepal Amrit1.Nepal1@kysu.edu