E.S.S.R.E.

The Environmental Science Summer Research Experience for Young Women (E.S.S.R.E.)

Launched in 2001, E.S.S.R.E. is a three-week summer internship in environmental field studies for 9th and 10th grade girls from the greater Baltimore area. Participants explore the soil chemistry and biota of the Roland Park Country School campus, author and test lab activities for studying soil  microenvironments, and adapt these labs for dissemination and use in a wide variety of educational situations and socio-economic conditions. The program’s primary objectives are to give this target audience the opportunity to engage in authentic, self-directed primary research into the ecological roles of soil microbes and, as a result, to nurture their interest in science in general as a possible career option.

E.S.S.R.E. has received national recognition for its efforts to promote the study of soil ecology and for encouraging young women’s interests in research. Former interns have gone on to work at national research centers and many graduates of the program have pursued careers in science.