Our Model

We focus on developing opportunities for our students, informed by engineering, education, and neuroscience research. Our model and approach has been validated through peer-reviewed publications and several outreach programs, including the College Prep Program, an all-volunteer effort for high school students which has been running since 2009, and the CIRCUIT Program, which ran at the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory from 2017-2023.

We are also interested in exploring systemic changes that may more equitably reflect the capabilities of trailblazing students.

We leverage several different models, including the one developed by the Center for Curriculum Redesign, reproduced here

Selected Publications

  • K. Gray-Roncal, et. al, “The college prep program at APL: An experiential model to help high-achieving, underserved students trailblaze and achieve success,” IEEE ISEC, 2018.

  • M. Villafañe-Delgado, E. C. Johnson, M. Hughes, M. Cervantes, and W. Gray-Roncal, “STEM Leadership and Training for Trailblazing Students in an Immersive Research Environment,” IEEE ISEC, 2020.

  • M. Cervantes, et. al, “Empowering trailblazers toward scalable, systematized, research-based workforce development,” ASEE, 2023.

  • E. C. Johnson et al., “An Immersive Curriculum to Develop Computational Science and Research Skills in a Cohort-Based Internship Program,” IEEE ISEC, 2023.

What People Are Saying

“I am grateful for the program in helping me open the doors to new research opportunities in the future.”

– Rashi, 2019 Cohort

“This program is a breeding ground for success. I am enthusiastic about going to grad school and I was not thinking about graduate school at all before.”

– Tyrome, 2022 Cohort

“Because of this program, I was able to continue my career as a scientist. It was the main reason I got a job. What we did and learned i was impressive and people noticed it.”

– Maria, 2019 Cohort

“I had once believed that the environment of my upbringing would not allow me to excel as greatly as my peers, but I know that I can contribute to the world in my own unique way through perseverance and passion.”

– Jason, 2022 Program Participant