Research Mentorship Initiative

Historically, students at underserved primary and secondary institutions have lagged starkly behind their more affluent counterparts in the pursuit of STEM-related careers. Much of this discrepancy is due not to motivation or ability, but simply to a lack of exposure; without friends, family and authority figures in science and engineering to serve as mentors, such students—though talented and eager—are often left by the wayside. Furthermore, the quality of one’s science and math education throughout high school is tantamount in shaping his or her career options. However, many, if not most, alluded to above are simply not exposed to the requisite degree of pedagogical excellence in such disciplines.

This organization aims to fill the gaps in science education for such students byexposing them to the cornerstone of what a STEM career entails—research. Tothis end, the Rice Research Mentorship Initiative (RMI) is designed to introducedisadvantaged, inner-city high school students from underserved communities toscientific research, with the goal of promoting the pursuit of science, technology,engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.