In2ScienceUK 2021 Summer School

This is what some of the students had to say:

'I did not think that AI could have this big of an impact in the medical world but after attending the lecture, I have been able to understand how important the development of technology is.'
In2scienceUK 2021 Participant (first lecture)

'I liked how it combined computer science with medicine/biology, which are two subjects I love learning about.'
In2scienceUK 2021 Participant (first lecture)

In2ScienceUK are a not-for-profit organisation that aim to increase diversity in STEM by supporting secondary school students from under-represented backgrounds. With salaries in STEM being 20% higher than other sectors, this helps young people progress to better-paid jobs and economic stability.

In2ScienceUK have just announced a heads up that they have now opened their volunteer applications again for Summer 2022 which is great news!

There were six volunteer mentors for this session including James Chapman, Augustine Mayor-Parker, Jacob Zeitler, Beatrice Taylor, Mohamed Sayed and Professor Marc Deisenroth.

This mentee had this to say -

"Having the opportunity to spend a day at my mentor's workplace in the UCL Computer Science department was the highlight of the programme for me. I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of In2scienceUK, but meeting my mentor and getting a deep insight into the sector I am ambitious about was just so inspirational!" - In2scienceUK 2021 Participant

Two of the mentors had this to say -

“I was excited to be chosen as a mentor for the In2Science summer programme as I was impressed by the charities mission to create internship opportunities for teenagers from less privileged backgrounds. I think this is so important as all too often these sorts of experiences hinge on nepotism and how well connected you are. It was great talking to the mentees; they have such a clear a vision of what they want to do in the future which is really inspiring. I would definitely recommend volunteering with the charity to anyone who gets the opportunity.“

"I had great fun mentoring three students from the London area, who were all very keen on advancing their computer science skills. Taking up this responsibility was a no brainer for me, given I observe systemic discrimination in academia on a daily basis. I taught them how to be confident in their skillset and how to build a network of friends and mentors they can trust and be supported by. I hope to witness in a few years how these two skills will have helped them navigate the hallways of academia and industry which too often are still quite cold for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Giving them a warm welcome to the UCL AI Centre hopefully will have helped them break down the many invisible barriers they face daily. Looking forward to being a mentor again next year!"

For anybody interested in mentoring here's a link to the In2Science Mentoring Guide which was provided to all of the mentors this year with information to support them in delivering their 2x 45minute online mentoring sessions and hosting a one-day work placement (where Covid-19 permitted).