BioQuest STEM Mentoring Program
What is BioQuest?
BioQuest is a STEM mentoring program designed to give middle and high school students meaningful opportunities to explore diverse careers in science, biotechnology, and medicine. Over the past two years, we've engaged more than 300 students from the Bronx and Harlem through hands-on enrichment events, winter break experiences, and a new paid summer internship program. We are proud to have co-created this program with our incredible partners at Areté Education, BioBus, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Futures Ignite, Mott Hall II, and Weill Cornell Medicine.
2026-2027 Academic Year
Year 4 of BioQuest has begun! At our annual kick-off event, students, families, and mentors come together to launch a new season of science and discovery. Middle schoolers will explore living organisms up close with BioBus, while high schoolers will take on a hands-on lab challenge, and families join in STEAM activities together.
Middle schoolers will head outdoors for a day of hands-on science along the Hudson River. Students will investigate urban ecology, sample the living world around them, and discover that science isn't only found in a lab.
Students will get their first real taste of life inside a research environment! Working alongside BioBus scientists, middle schoolers will dive into guided discovery while high schoolers build hands-on technical skills.
Students will gather at the New York Genome Center to celebrate a season of learning and growth. Students will take part in hands-on science and a festive engineering challenge, reflect on the year so far, and set their sights on what's ahead.
BioQuest Ambassador Program
Last year, we launched the BioQuest Ambassador program, designed for highly engaged high school students interested in exploring STEM career opportunities. Throughout the program, students participate in monthly skill-building workshops and explore STEM career opportunities through paid summer internships. This new program provides a significant opportunity for students interested in STEM careers to build professional skills and connect with industry leaders who support their ongoing growth. Reach out to [email protected] for more information.
BioQuest Alumni
2025 was our first year with graduates of the BioQuest program! BioQuest continues to invest in its alumni by providing sustained guidance and skill-building that supports long-term success in STEM pathways. Through strategic advising, including dedicated office hours, individualized academic and career advising, and support with research planning and time management, alumni receive the tools needed to navigate increasingly complex academic and professional environments. Together, these efforts ensure BioQuest alumni are supported not only at critical milestones but throughout their journeys in science and beyond.
School Partners
Program Collaborators
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Interested in getting involved with BioQuest as a mentor?