Information for Students

Summer 2025 courses will be offered in-person only, and students will be required to report to Hood College in Frederick, MD on Monday through Friday to receive their stipend. The safety of students, Near-Peer Mentors, Teachers, volunteers, and Hood College staff is of utmost importance.

Student applications to the 2025 GEMS program will be accepted from 1 February 2025 through 14 April 2025.

Course Descriptions:

Intermediate Science (Offered Weeks 1-3):

• Open to: Current 6th-8th grade students.
• Description: Students learn biomedical and engineering skills that mirror our USAMRDC command foci including frog dissection, DNA extraction, and engineering and design.

Earth and Environmental Science (Offered Weeks 1-3):

• Open to: Current 4th-5th grade students.
• Description: Students develop their experimental and engineering skills to learn more about their environment and how to help it. This includes creating the best bubble solution to learn about surface tension, dissecting a squid while learning about water quality, and exploring alternative energy by building a solar oven.

Engineering and Computer Science (Biomedical Engineering) (Offered Weeks 1-3):

• Open to: Current 7th-10th grade students.
• Description: Students use their engineering skills to understand prosthetics and brain injury along with other engineering challenges.

Engineering and Computer Science (Biofabrication and Commercialization) (Offered Weeks 1-5):

• Open to: Current 9th-11th grade students.
• Description: Through BioTrek, a project-based STEM learning adventure, students will learn about the science, manufacturing, and career opportunities in regenerative medicine and biofabrication. Students will identify a real-world medical need, conceptualize a tissue-engineered medical product (TEMP) that could potentially solve this problem, and design a business model to deliver the TEMP to patients. For more information on BioTrek, please visit: https://www.armiusa.org/biofabusa/education-and-workforce-development/biotrek/.

Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) (Offered Weeks 1-5): 

• Open to: Current 6th-8th grade students.
• Description: Students solve a mystery by analyzing fingerprints, hair and fiber, blood typing, and DNA left behind at the scene.

Advanced Science (Offered Weeks 4-5):

• Open to: Current 9th-11th grade students.
• Description: Students learn more advanced biomedical and engineering skills that mirror our USAMRDC command foci including cow eye dissection, DNA analysis, gel electrophoresis, and pandemic studies.

Engineering and Computer Science (Battlebots) (Offered Weeks 4-5):

• Open to: Current 5th-7th grade students.
• Description: Students build, train, and battle robots. Robots perform boot camp, a ruck march, and a parachute drop.

Sustainability and Environmental Science (Offered Weeks 4-5):

• Open to: Current 8th-10th grade students.
• Description: Students investigate how to help the planet by using experiments and engineering to understand ocean currents, acid rain, and oil spills.

Eligibility

Prospective students must register online by midnight on the day of the deadline.

Students can only participate in one week-long session.

Students are NOT eligible to participate in a course more than once and will not be re-selected for a class.

Spots are limited and applying to the program does not guarantee selection.

Classroom Leadership Opportunities at the Fort Detrick GEMS Program

Near-Peer Mentor (NPM):

Are you a STEM or Education major interested in gaining leadership and hands-on laboratory experience? Looking for a summer internship opportunity that allows you to work alongside U.S. Army Research scientists and make amazing career connections while giving back to your community?

Becoming a NPM for the GEMS program is a great way to gain skills while inspiring the next generation to become scientists, engineers, doctors, and leaders.

Applications will be accepted from November 13, 2024 through January 7, 2025. 

Benefits:

• Competitive Stipend.
• Hands on experience in life sciences, forensic science, computer science, and engineering.
• Expand your professional network within the Department of Defense (DoD).
• Mentor and teach America’s future.
• Work in teams with other college students from across the nation.

Responsibilities include:

• Supervising students at all times.
• Preparing laboratory materials.
• Learning and implementing protocols and procedures.
• Helping students foster positive attitudes toward STEM education.
• Maintaining ethical behavior at all times; acting as a role model and mentor for the GEMS student interns.

Additional Details

• High School juniors or seniors as well as college students may apply with leadership and hands-on STEM experience.
• NPMs will receive training from experts in their field and collaborate with Resource Teachers. During the student sessions, NPMs will interact with elementary to high school participants full-time by assisting and/or leading experiments and challenges to include, but not limited to, laboratory experiments, coding, engineering, and robotics.

Teacher:

A Teacher is a licensed teacher within the public school/state system with a Master’s degree, preferably in a STEM field. Ideally, the candidate would have experience in a supervisory role.

The Teacher’s main responsibility is to remain an open channel for NPMs to utilize as a teaching resource for content building and skill building. Teachers also ensure safety and liability guidelines are always practiced by NPMs and students. Additionally, Teachers will take the lead in emergency situations over NPMs and students when emergencies arise and will work closely with the GEMS staff to ensure protocols are being followed. Teachers may also assist with curriculum revisions as needed and are provided a stipend for the internship.

Applications will be accepted beginning November 13, 2024, and will be evaluated on a rolling basis.

More Information

Stipends are not awarded to those who do not meet the definition of participation as explained by our Terms and Conditions.