May 09, 2026

Ep. 317 | Summer Science Program | feat. Amy Kim

22 minutes

It’s no secret that students’ interest in STEM keeps growing. With an overwhelming number of different fields to pursue and growing opportunities for high schoolers, where do they start? Summer Science Program International (SSPI) helps students develop a deeper love for STEM and research through SSPI’s immersive, rigorous, and collaborative summer program. SSP is a highly competitive (10,000 applicants for about 700 spots this year) 60-year old STEM program (Summer Science Program) that empowers students to follow their passions and more importantly gives them the opportunity to participate in rote experiments and gain hands-on experience, vs. being taught about STEM. Key program study topics include astrophysics, bacterial genomics, biochemistry and cell biology.

These flagship summer programs are a rigorous five-week residential summer research experience designed for highly motivated high school juniors. Participants engage in advanced research in astrophysics, biochemistry, bacterial genomics, and synthetic chemistry while living on a college campus. Summer Science Program has offered participants “the educational experience of a lifetime” for over 66 years, and program alumni have gone on to leading positions in industry, business, innovation, and more.

Amy Hee Kim joined SSP International in 2025 as the Chief Program Officer, bringing 15 years in STEM fields as well as her background as a physical chemist (PhD from University of Chicago). Before joining SSPI, Amy served as the Executive Director of EnCorps helping STEM professionals become teachers in under-resourced community schools.

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