17th Cohort of the STEM Ambassadors Program.
Over the summer, New Jersey youth from around the state gathered at the Rutgers George H. Cook Campus for the annual 4-H STEM Ambassadors program kickoff. Now in its seventeenth year, the program empowers high school students from urban communities across New Jersey through year-round experiences that foster STEM identity and promote college readiness. 2025 participants come from cities, including Trenton, Passaic, Paterson, Camden, Newark, Atlantic City, Union and New Brunswick.
This kickoff event, held from July 7-11, introduced prospective students to college life as they stayed in dorms for a week, engaged with more than 40 Rutgers faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates and learned about a wide variety of STEM topics.
“I think it’s a really good opportunity for the students to learn about diverse scientists and the different types of science that we do at Rutgers,” said Karla Esquilín-Lebron, a teaching instructor for the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology (SEBS) and long-time advocate for science communication. She has volunteered in various capacities for this program since 2019.
Caption: Dr. Lena Struwe, Director of the Chrysler Herbarium and professor in the Department of Plant Biology (SEBS), encourages the ambassadors to stop and observe the world they see around them, pointing out the beauty and significance of a particular plant.
As part of the program, youth had the opportunity to explore the power of data-driven research by collaborating on one of six projects alongside Rutgers researchers from NJAES, SAS, SEBS, and Rutgers Health. Throughout the week, they participated in immersive experiences—including visits to active research labs, roundtable discussions with scientists, and a guided tour of Rutgers Gardens. These activities prepared them to return to their communities ready to make a meaningful impact, contributing at least 50 hours of service annually. Working closely with county-based faculty and staff, they will lead hands-on STEM activities for younger students in afterschool programs, Saturday workshops and summer camps.
“One of the most striking things about the STEM Ambassadors program is seeing how eager and engaged these kids are,” said A. Reema Kar, an acute care surgeon at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a project lead during this program. “These students are so hungry for exposure to the different research areas at Rutgers, like medicine and surgery, that they are spending their summer soaking up every experience they can to learn more.”
