Summer Institute 2022- A Great Year Comes to a Close

After offering Summer Institute virtually for the past two summers, our first year back to campus has wrapped, and what a summer it was! INMED was thrilled to have 7th through 12th graders back in person.

A total of 37 students completed a five-week STEAM enrichment program, participating in courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, and Communications.  Designed to give our students a feel for what life is like as a real university student, our courses challenged them academically and set them up for success when they return to school this fall! Our classes were taught by exceptional instructors, including one of only two American Indian scholars to hold a doctoral degree in Biology: Dr. Kelsey Morin. Each week SI students spent time in the labs, utilizing state of the art equipment and exploring the scientific method.

Students studied hard, ate in the dining centers, lived in the residence halls, and made time for fun as well.  Field trips included “hands-on” experiences with the Nursing program, the ND Start Simulation Center, a character challenge ropes course, career exploration in the health sciences, and more! This year’s summer Institute cohort took part in a 20-hour self defense course, led by the Turtle Mountain IMPACT self-defense team.  Brittany Belgarde, Summer Institute Coordinator, found it empowering to be able to watch our students grow in their skills and confidence throughout this experience.

Celebrating Indigenous cultures and the special traditions each of our students bring to Summer Institute is a hallmark of the program.  This year we were very fortunate to be able to offer a “Cooking with Auntie” class led by Ms. Shelrae Davis.  Utilizing the phenomenal test kitchen at the UND Wellness Center, students and staff prepared a meal of bison burgers, baked sweet potatoes, homemade fruit tea, and a wild rice berry dessert.

To wrap up the summer, Summer Institute took a field trip to the greater Minneapolis / St. Paul area, visiting the Science Museum of Minnesota, The Como Zoo, and completed a Physics lesson at Valley Fair.   We would like to thank our incredible staff of instructors and counselors for their hard work and dedication to making this program such a success! Often former SI students themselves, our staff show our students the possible paths that lay before them, and demonstrate to them that each of their goals is achievable!

Thank you all for a fantastic summer, we can’t wait to do it again!