What is FUTURES?

Fostering Undergraduates Through University Research and Education in the Sciences

FUTURES is a four year science education program at North Carolina Central University that will provide innovative science enrichment for 11th grade students through their college sophomore year.      

FUTURES will consist of science summer camps, educational field trips, and Saturday Academies during the academic school year. 

FUTURES will:

• Provide academic support to high school students interested in biomedical science careers.
• Increase the awareness of biomedical science careers to all program participants.

Students accepted into this program as rising 11th graders for the 2009 summer camp have the opportunity to remain in FUTURES for an additional 3 years. 

Program Components

Precollege Outreach                               

• Selected students will participate in a 4-week non-residential science camp that consists of a science based computer labs that simulate real life situations in physics, earth science, chemistry, and biology. Students will also participate in SAT Preparatory Workshops and Career Awareness Workshops.

 Student Research                                      

• In the latter two years of the program, students that have scored at least a 900 on the SAT - with minimum scores of 300 in Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing; maintained an overall 3.0 grade point average from high school; and committed to majoring in one of the sciences in college will continue in the program. 
• These students will participate in a six-week summer bridge program taking courses in math, reading, biology and participate in research projects on the campus of NCCU.

What are the Goals of FUTURES?

• Enhance student learning by creating a group of students who are actively engaged in learning from each other
• Engage students in innovative university research programs
• Provide academic reinforcement and peer mentoring 
• Increase the number of students who are competitively prepared to pursue college studies 
• Increase the number of students who subsequently enter careers in Science, Technology, Math and Engineering.

FUTURES is funded through a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.