京东影业影视传媒

While the top 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search might have been out of the classrooms for Regeneron STS finals week, they had the amazing opportunity to learn a lot during field trips coordinated across the D.C. area during finals week

From touring the and the to visiting in Ashburn, Virginia and in Greenbelt, Maryland, the finalists got a nice behind-the-scenes tour of scientific institutions across the nation鈥檚 capital

Janine Stevens, Senior Director of 京东影业影视传媒 Programs, says a core part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Janelia Research Campus鈥� mission is to cultivate the next generation of scientists by broadening their access and exposure to cutting-edge research environments. 鈥淟earning about the development of innovative tools and methods, and engaging with active scientists sparks student curiosity, builds their confidence, and helps prepare them for scientific careers,鈥� Janine says. 鈥淚n time, these talented high school students grow into skilled researchers who bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to institutes like Janelia.”

Jashvi Desai, 18, of Yorktown Heights, NY, echoes that sentiment, saying, 鈥淚t is important that young scientists visit institutions like Janelia to see what opportunities there are to continue science and scientific research,鈥� Jashvi says. 鈥淭hese opportunities also help us make valuable connections to individuals in our field.鈥�

Other fun visits across the Potomac included the National Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art.

Vallabh Ramesh, 18, from Louisville, Kentucky, says he was fascinated by how materials science was used in art preservation and photography.

鈥淚t really goes to show how STEM is so interdisciplinary, and you can truly pursue any of your passions in tandem with multiple fields,鈥� Vallabh says. 鈥淚 thought it was especially interesting to see how gels are used for studying art, as my project was about gels too. I also really enjoyed getting to see timeless pieces of art and how scientists are working behind the scenes to restore them to their original form.鈥�

Ananya Nagendra, 18, of Plano, Texas, really enjoyed the time spent at the National Museum of Natural History.

鈥淢y favorite part of the trip was seeing the insect collection, as I鈥檓 very passionate about entomology,鈥� Ananya says. 鈥淔or young scientists, it鈥檚 incredibly valuable to learn about current topics across different fields, and the Museum of Natural History was a perfect place to gain an interdisciplinary understanding of the current research questions across our society!鈥�

Finally, over in Maryland, some finalists went behind the scenes at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Frank Lucci, 18, from Castle Hills, Texas, says he was over the moon to touch a part of the moon.

鈥淢y favorite part of the field trip was getting to touch part of the moon and when I mean touch a part of the moon, we all got to hold a lunar rock!鈥� Frank says. 鈥淚 also loved getting to hear from a scientist who worked on Helio physics satellites for over 30 decades!鈥�

Learn more about and the winners of the competition here.