Want to know what it’s like to participate in the research program Cancer Health Equity Summer Scholars (CHESS) for high school students? Watch this video and you’ll hear from some students in the 2023 cohort.
CHESS is an eight-week program that trains and mentors underrepresented minority high school students interested in careers focusing on cancer research and other health professions. The CHESS Program is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Cancer Center and the University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) Urban Health Program.
Summer Research Mission
Summer programs are a critical part of the Cancer Center’s mission through its Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team to build pipeline programs to train diverse cancer researchers from young students to early-stage investigators. The goal is to educate, support and retain trainees from underrepresented minority groups to address the needs of the Cancer Center’s diverse patient population.