Unlike The Pathway Initiative’s city-funded programs, the High School STEM Academy, offered during the school year and over the summer, is a fee-for-service program. We encourage families who are able, with students who are interested in STEM, to pursue this program to set up their children for success in college and future careers, while helping to support TPI’s programming for underserved and low-income students.
Who This Program Is For
The High School STEM Academy provides an immersive, hands-on experience for high school students (grades 9-12) to explore career opportunities and develop a strong foundation in science and research skills. This program is a great option for students preparing for Advanced Placement biology or computer science courses, or who are interested in studying nursing, pre-medicine, biology, or engineering in college.
School-Year Program
School-Year Program Schedule
There are two tracks :
- Bio: Medicine, Health Sciences, Molecular Biology, and Bioengineering
- Tech: Computer Sciences, Robotics, Coding & Programming, 3D Designs & Engineering
Program Structure
Each track is delivered in a focused 4-week block.
Biology Fundamentals Curriculum
Fall Semester: October - March
- BLOCK 1: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY FOUNDATIONS & LAB SAFETY
- Week 1 (10/27/2025-10/31/2025): Introduction to Molecular Biology & Lab Safety
- Week 2 (11/03/2025-11/07/2025): Mastering Micropipetting & Solution Preparation
- Week 3 (11/10/2025-11/14/2025): DNA Structure, Replication & Extraction
- Week 4 (11/17/2025-11/21/2025): Cell Biology & Cellular Components
- BLOCK 2: DNA ANALYSIS & GENE CLONING
- Week 5 (12/01/2025-12/05/2025): DNA Analysis: Gel Electrophoresis & Introduction to PCR
- Week 6 (12/08/2025-12/12/2025): Gene Cloning Fundamentals: Restriction Enzymes & Vectors
- Week 7 (12/15/2025-12/19/2025): Gene Cloning: Ligation & Bacterial Transformation
- Week 8 (12/22/2025-12/26/2025): Advanced PCR Techniques & Applications
- BLOCK 3: BIOINFORMATICS FOUNDATIONS
- Week 9 (01/06/2026-01/10/2026): Bioinformatics Tools & DNA Sequence Analysis
- Week 10 (01/13/2026-01/17/2026): Advanced Bioinformatics & Genomic Data Exploration
- Week 11 (01/20/2026-01/24/2026): Protein Structure & Function Analysis
- Week 12 (01/27/2026-01/31/2026): Protein Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) & Quantification
- BLOCK 4: CELLULAR ANALYSIS & MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
- Week 13 (02/03/2026-02/07/2026): Cellular Analysis: Flow Cytometry & Microscopy
- Week 14 (02/10/2026-02/14/2026): Molecular Basis of Genetic Diseases & Detection
- Week 15 (02/17/2026-02/21/2026): Microbiology & Molecular Diagnostics of Infectious Diseases
- Week 16 (02/24/2026-02/28/2026): Immunology & Antibody Techniques
Spring Semester: March - May
- BLOCK 5: PRECISION MEDICINE & BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS
- Week 17 (03/03/2026-03/07/2026): Personalized Diagnostics & Precision Medicine
- Week 18 (03/10/2026-03/14/2026): Environmental Biotechnology & Bioremediation
- Week 19 (03/17/2026-03/21/2026): Introduction to AI & Machine Learning in Biotech
- Week 20 (03/24/2026-03/28/2026): Cancer Biology & Molecular Therapeutics
- BLOCK 6: ADVANCED BIOTECHNOLOGIES & GENOMIC SYSTEMS
- Week 21 (03/31/2026-04/04/2026): Microfluidics & Lab-on-a-Chip Design
- Week 22 (04/07/2026-04/11/2026): Biofabrication & 3D Bioprinting
- Week 23 (04/14/2026-04/18/2026): Advanced Bioinformatics: ‘Omics’ Data Analysis
- Week 24 (04/21/2026-04/25/2026): Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Concepts & Applications
- BLOCK 7: EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES & FINAL PROJECTS
- Week 25 (04/28/2026-05/02/2026): Synthetic Biology: Engineering Biological Systems
- Week 26 (05/05/2026-05/09/2026): Gene Editing Technologies: CRISPR-Cas9 & Beyond
- Week 27 (05/12/2026-05/16/2026): Data Visualization & Scientific Communication
- Week 28 (05/19/2026-05/23/2026): Final Projects & Research Presentations
Tutorials:
Virtual, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Hands-on Wet Bio Lab:
Thursdays 4:00 PM -6:30 PM
Location: Biogen Co-Lab, Boston
Pricing
$960 per block
Summer Program
The summer program runs from June to August, in person at Biogen’s CoLab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Students experience hands-on learning in a real molecular biology wet lab, giving them a great foundation for the school year—or college—ahead. This program runs for 30 hours each week and costs $2,250 per week, with discounts available for early birds and siblings! Students may sign up for one week or the full term.
Summer Program Schedule
Week One | Molecular Biology and Lab Techniques |
Week Two | DNA and Genomics |
Week Three | Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology |
Week Four | Bioinformatics and Data Analysis |
Week Five | Advanced Molecular Biology Techniques |
Week Six | Molecular Biology and Disease |
Week Seven | Application of Molecular Biology in Medicine and the Environment |
Week Eight | Final Project |