Junior Paleontologists - Project Exploration - Changing The Face of Science

Junior Paleontologists

Junior Paleontologists at Egg Mountain

Each year Project Exploration selects a new class of one-dozen 12-17 year old Chicago Public School minority students and maintains a relationship with them until they graduate from high school. Students are selected based on their interest level, rather than grades or test scores. The program targets students may not be academically successful, but who are curious and open minded.

Project Exploration Junior Paleontologists

Learning about the different parts
of a dinosaur skull

The Junior Paleontologist (JPs) program launches with an intensive three-week summer fieldwork program that takes minority youth and girls to the Western United States for a comprehensive experience in paleontology fieldwork. During the first two weeks, the students study geology, anatomy, and paleontology, while building academic skills at the University of Chicago. Then they head to Montana, South Dakota, or Wyoming, where they work alongside scientists on fossil-rich terrain.

Once the students return, they receive year-round mentoring and leadership development opportunities until their high school graduation.

The goals of the Junior Paleontologist program are to:

Provide an intensive immersion into the field of paleontology and access to authentic hands-on field experiences.
Build students’ academic and communication skills using their interest in paleontology.
Support students’ academic and personal growth throughout high school and into college.

Jacketing a fossil

Researching microfossils

Junior Paleontologists are required to:

Write every day
Develop a research project and present the investigation to invited guests at the end of the program
Contribute to an evaluation of the program
Make at least one presentation at school in the fall

Sponsor a Junior Paleontologist

JP Archive

JP Blog
Go to Blog

{title}
{pubDate}

What We Do

JP Archive

JP Blog Go to Blog

JP Blog
Go to Blog