In summer 2022, 50 high school students from across the country participated in the Environmental Systems in the Outdoors Research Experience. This was a new program created by Systems Education Experiences to engage student participants in environmental research. Over the 6-week program, students had the opportunity to meet and learn from 10 different environmental STEM professionals, from the Institute for Systems Biology and its collaborators. Students also worked on environmental science-based activities that brought them outdoors and into their local communities and environments in order to engage with nearby ecosystems and identify environmental systems.

The program culminated in a final project related to environmental research, science, and/or stewardship. These projects were largely student-driven, and engaged everything they had learned throughout the program into a project that interested them. The final projects will be showcased on our website and social media accounts throughout the next few months. Use the links below to explore the students' great work:

Environmental Systems in the Outdoors Research Experience Map

Despite a virtual format, students had the opportunity to explore - in-person and over Zoom - different locations all over the world! Check out the interactive map below to see all of the places on Earth that student participants engaged with during the program's run. The categories are as follows:

• Student Participants: With the virtual format, students were able to join from all across the country. Many students also traveled abroad to visit family or take a summer vacation. The blue points on the map represent everywhere students joined throughout the experience!
• Environmental Research: Many environmental researchers joined the program to speak about their work and career trajectory in environmental STEM. The purple points on the map represent where each of the scientists focus their research.
• National Parks: At the beginning of each session, students were presented with an image so they could get "guess the national park!" This was followed with some fun facts about the park, to help students learn more about the environments near them. The parks that were featured are represented by green points on the map.