By Rob Forleo
Special to the Voice
The Yale Pathways to Science Partnership Program is giving West Haven students opportunities to explore STEM fields, earn Yale credit and gain hands-on experience through programs on Yale’s campus. More than 400 students from across West Haven Public Schools are currently participating in the program, which has continued to expand since it began during the 2009-10 school year.
The program was highlighted during the West Haven Board of Education meeting on Sept. 22 at Washington Elementary School. Lauren Cavallaro, Science/STEM Coordinator for West Haven Public Schools, opened the presentation before introducing Claudia Merson, Director of Public Partnerships at Yale, who has been involved with the program since its beginning. Several West Haven High School students who have participated in the program also spoke to the Board about their experiences.
The program began during the 2009-10 school year. In its early years, students participated in visits to Yale’s West Campus, nature walks, field trips and visits to the Yale campus to experience college life. Students also received free passes to the Peabody Museum. What began with a handful of opportunities has grown to more than 200 opportunities each year.
Pathways focuses on STEM fields including neuroscience, physics, chemistry, engineering, anthropology and medicine. Students have opportunities to take part in hands-on experiences using Yale resources and facilities, including Wright Lab, the Cushing Center and the Leitner Planetarium & Observatory. The partnership also offers the newer Yale Humanities Pathways program, which gives West Haven students opportunities to participate in Yale programming in areas such as creative writing, music and theater.
Students can also take academic courses for Yale credit, which can be placed on their high school transcripts. Merson gave a special acknowledgement to Deb Kachmar of West Haven High School for her role in helping students access these opportunities through the guidance department.
The program currently includes 429 students from across West Haven Public Schools, including 31 students from Carrigan Intermediate School, 96 from Bailey Middle School and 302 from West Haven High School. The group includes students from different ethnic backgrounds, and 58 percent of participants are girls. Organizers are particularly proud that 52 percent of participating students are the first in their families to attend college.
Students enter the program through teacher nominations. Students do not have to be among the highest-achieving students in their classes to participate. Teachers can nominate students who show an interest in science or STEM, with students applying in April and May before beginning the program in September.
The program takes a scaffolded approach, allowing students to build on their experiences as they spend more time involved. Opportunities begin with public lectures and hands-on demonstrations before expanding to One Day themed events, summer workshops and internships. High school students can also participate in paid summer laboratory internships at Yale.
The Summer Pathways to Science Summer Scholar Program gives students a two-week experience, while the Yale Pathways Research Internships provide a seven-week laboratory internship. During the summer, students can also spend Saturdays exploring different programs and experiences for as many hours as they choose. Ten West Haven students have currently logged more than 300 hours through these summer opportunities.
The students who presented to the Board shared how the program has influenced their interests and plans for the future.
Martha Augustin, a senior, has been part of Pathways since fifth grade and has logged an impressive 556 hours through the program, including completing a neuroscience laboratory internship at Yale. She plans to major in biochemistry and hopes to become a pediatric neurologist.
“Yale Pathways is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I was able to do so many amazing things and involve myself in the science field in ways I wouldn’t have been able to if I wasn’t in the program,” Augustin said.
As a senior, Mila Cruz joined Pathways as a freshman and participated in the Summer Scholars Program, where she spent two weeks living in Yale dorms. An OB-GYN session during the program also made her reconsider her longtime goal of pursuing surgery.
“This program opens a lot of doors for you in terms of figuring out what you may or may not want to do in college, which can put you ahead of others when entering college,” Cruz said.
Xitlali Tapia, now a senior, began Pathways in seventh grade and has participated in the Yale summer program for three years. As a first-generation student, she said the program helped her experience opportunities she otherwise may not have had.
“As a first-generation student, it really helped me broaden my horizons and see things that I usually wouldn’t see and be in rooms that I usually wouldn’t be in,” Tapia said.
James Banegas, also a senior, said the program has exposed him to different areas he may want to pursue and hopes to become an oncologist. Junior Makary Nartey expressed his gratitude for the program while taking a course focused on data. Diana Morales, a junior who has been part of the academic program for about four weeks, said it encouraged her to branch out from her STEM interests and try an ethnic studies course.
“The program has really broadened my horizons in terms of what I want to do in the future,” Morales said.
Neil Cavallaro recalled the early days of the program, including Yale’s commitment to its West Campus and the conversations he had with Raffaela Fronc, who was serving as the Science/STEM Coordinator at the time and helped get the program off the ground. Fronc is now an Assistant Superintendent, while Lauren Cavallaro has continued that work in the Science/STEM Coordinator role.
“As someone who was in it from the beginning, I cannot believe what it’s grown into. I’m so pleased with the number of students who have taken advantage of it, and it seems to be getting only bigger and bigger,” Cavallaro said.
More than 15 years after its launch, Yale Pathways has grown from a small collection of introductory experiences into a program that gives West Haven students opportunities to explore fields they may want to pursue, earn Yale credit and gain firsthand experience in a college and research setting. The students who shared their experiences with the Board showed how those opportunities can continue to shape their plans long after an individual lecture, class or summer program ends.
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