TERA is a field research internship program for high school students based at Tyson Research Center. Selected teen participants have completed the SIFT program during the previous year and apply their field skills to ongoing research projects at Tyson and other partnering research sites in the St. Louis area.
Did this program previously have a different name? Yes, TERA became the program name in 2020. Read more
The TERA Experience
TERA provides a cultural apprenticeship in university-based environmental biology research and training in scientific communication. It is an advanced summer experience modeled on the undergraduate research fellowships offered at Tyson.
During six weeks over the summer, the program provides teens with authentic exposure to a variety of field science experiences and skills. TERA teens work as paid members of research teams alongside WashU scientists, post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Thoughtful mentoring relationships are cultivated at every level within the community.
Fall and winter activities are designed to provide important community outreach, bridging the communication gap between scientists and the public and emphasizing the value of environmental research. TERA wraps up with a spring capstone project assisting US Forest Service professionals and camping overnight in Mark Twain National Forest.
SUMMER Activities
Daily paid work in support of a research team
Weekly colloquium sessions including scientific communication practice, research poster development, and exploration and discussion of environmental racism and diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in STEM
Weekly community events with visiting environmental professionals
Presentation of scientific posters at the Tyson Summer Research Symposium
FALL/winter/Spring Activities
Opportunities for presentation of research at public events and to current SIFTers
SIFT & TERA winter weekend
US Forest Service Capstone Project weekend
"One of the main reasons I decided to participate in TERA was that I knew I would get some great experience working with professors and undergraduates before I even get to college."
Former TERA participant
“I am so glad that I did end up working at Tyson; it helped prepare me for college, gave me a network of contacts, provided new friends of all ages, and allowed me to gain firsthand experience most kids my age would not be able to do. My goal was to learn what really is involved in natural research, and I do feel like a got a realistic picture of that.”
past terA participants and their posters
“There's no way we can experience the 'real' scientific world in high school alone. So without this, we would be completely unprepared for the world we'd be entering when we graduate.”
Former TERA participant