Six high school students from the Lansing area are learning what it takes to be involved with scientific research via hands on experience.

The students, who all have an interest in science, are part of Project SEED, or Summer Experience for Economically Disadvantaged students. They meet daily in labs of the Chemistry Building and work on chemical experiments for eight weeks, which began June 21.

In order to qualify, the students had to write an essay explaining why they wanted to be part of the program.

"We set up research projects for high school students and team them up with graduate students," chemistry Professor Greg Baker said.

"It's projects they can reasonably accomplish and can give them an idea of what research is about."

Students are given a stipend to live on, with first-time students receiving $1,750 and students returning for their second year receiving $2,000. Right now the students who are involved all live in the Lansing area and commute to the university.

Perry High School senior Anna Foster, who heard about the program from a counselor, said walking into the research lab was intimidating at first, but said she's enjoying the work.

"I like doing the reactions and learning how to use the high-tech equipment," Foster said.

"I'm getting a better understanding of my work."

Foster is working on experiments with tributyl tin chloride, adding catalysts to it and watching what products are made.

She said spending time at the labs has made her want to become more involved with chemical engineering, but said she will probably major in mechanical engineering.

"I like mechanical engineering - I think it's a job that wouldn't get boring," Foster said. "Everything's always different."

Courtney Olmsted, a graduate assistant in charge of the project, said students can use the program to see if they want a career in science.

"This is an opportunity for them to see if this is something they'd like to do," Olmsted said.

"They can see what it's like doing research in a lab."

Baker also said professors and graduate students also benefit from helping the high school students.

"It's always good to work with different levels of people," Baker said. "Only working with highly skilled people can get boring."

Project coordinator Babak Borhan, who initially wrote the grant to the National Science Foundation, which funds the program along with the College of Natural Science and the Office of the Provost, said the program can open the eyes of the students to the benefits of going to college.

"The goal of ours is to make sure they go to college," Borhan said. "Not one student who left here was not gung-ho about pursuing higher education."