Indiana University Northwest was recently awarded three grants, totaling $39,000, that will help advance learning opportunities for high school students. With these grants, IU Northwest will help to position the next generation of college students with learning opportunities to help them grow and explore their passions.
The majority of the grant—$21,250—supports the launch of the university's Forensic Scientists and Criminal Investigators Summer Camp. Through this grant, IU Northwest’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) will host a week-longcamp (to be held in 2024) for local and regional high school students.
The program is open to all students who aspire to become forensic scientists or forensic investigators with activities focused on solving crime scenarios, lab and case-study analysis, field investigations and trips to local crime lab facilities.
“Forensic science is a growing field as it has been recognized as essential in the modern criminal justice system,” said Monica Solinas-Saunders, associate professor in SPEA and adjunct associate professor of Women & Gender Studies. “However, the forensic science field often lacks diversity, which can contribute to bias in the solution of crimes and the search for missing persons. This camp—and the recent addition of the bachelor’s degree in forensic science—will help in our campus’s pursuit to transform the profession to be more inclusive and reflective of our surrounding communities.”
Additional details regarding the summer 2024 camp will be forthcoming.
Grant monies will also support the creation of The Steel City Black Knowledge Bowl, similar to an Academic Bowl but designed for high school participants to demonstrate academic knowledge of the African Diaspora and its accomplishments in human history, while also increasing students’ sense of pride in themselves and the contributions of individuals like them. Ten-thousand dollars will also go toward technological advancements for the school's library.
Republished courtesy of IU Northwest.