![](https://cancer.uillinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/v4Summer-Programs-Community-Day-1.png)
We hosted a Summer Programs Community Day for high school, undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students participating in cancer research-focused education and training programs.
The students participate in programs at our Cancer Center on the University of Illinois Chicago campus and at other institutions (University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Northeastern Illinois University, Rush University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
Details on Summer Research Programs
The students are participating in the ChicagoCHEC Summer Fellows Program, researcHStart, Cancer Health Equity Summer Scholars (CHESS), and the University of Illinois Diversity in Cancer Research Internship funded by the American Cancer Society.
On July 19, a perfect summer day, the students enjoyed a picnic lunch, played lawn games and cancer awareness games, and toured our giant inflatable colon #CECIL.
Summer programs are a critical part of the mission of our Cancer Center’s Cancer Research Training and Education Coordination (CRTEC) team to build pipeline programs to train diverse cancer researchers from grade school students to early-stage investigators. The goal is to educate, support and retain trainees from underrepresented groups to address the needs of the Cancer Center’s diverse patient population.
Nearly 30 Cancer Center members are serving as mentors to students in summer programs.