Elizabethtown College students are gaining valuable experience this summer, working closely with faculty and staff mentors on campus to perform independent student research as part of the Summer Creative Arts and Research Program (SCARP) program.
Over the next several weeks, we’ll highlight these fascinating, student-led research projects through our Etown 2022 Summer SCARP Series.
Check out recaps from last year’s SCARP projects and learn more about the program below.
What is SCARP?
SCARP was created to support independent student scholarship under the sponsorship of a faculty mentor. The program is a non-credit experiential learning program designed to enhance professional skills and provide a competitive advantage to participating students in the pursuit of career opportunities and graduate studies.
Participating faculty scholars and researchers also benefit from student involvement in support of professional scholarship and research agendas.
“We have projects that help students bring together their interests and passions including a student double majoring in Engineering and Art who is investigating creative and practical applications of a laser cutter or a Sociology major with an interest in rally racing who will be investigating the culture of this motorsport,” remarked Susan Mapp, Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and Innovation and a coordinator for the SCARP program.
“Many of the opportunities that Etown students have would be reserved for graduate students at larger institutions, but here we have students who have just finished their first year completing hands-on research this summer. Students are then able to parlay this experience and the skills they develop into sought-after jobs and graduate school acceptances.”
What do students receive for participating?
Students receive a training stipend, free room and board for the duration of their projects (from 4 to 12 weeks), and a professional experience as part of a scholarship/research community.
They also benefit from highly personalized mentoring from active researchers and scholars. SCARP also fulfills one of the two required Signature Learning Experiences (SLE) for Etown Students.
What is the result of this research?
Each summer, Etown students share their research projects at the annual Landmark Summer Research Symposium, which is entering its 13th year.