L.A.B.S.
An after school lab skills program
Prepare to answer scientific research questions and learn to work independently in a laboratory setting in HudsonAlpha’s free after school program Launching Aspiring Biotechnology Scientists – or LABS.
LABS equips high school students from disadvantaged and under-represented populations with the skills and knowledge essential to confidently take the “next steps” towards participating in tomorrow’s stem-based workforce. This program gives students the opportunity to work independently in HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities, making them ready to take advantage of future laboratory opportunities.
LABS Cohort IX started in August 2025
Student sessions will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 – 6:15 pm as follows:
- Fall 2025: August 19 – September 25
- Spring 2026: January 27 – March 5
Special Lab Coat Ceremony will be held for students and parents on Thursday, January 22, 2026, starting at 5 pm.
Summer 2026 session will be held from Monday, June 8 – Friday, June 12 from 8 am – 5 pm each day. Presentations and graduation ceremony will start on Friday, June 12, at 3 pm.
Details and how to apply for our tenth cohort are found below.
Students must be enrolled in 9-11th grade upon time of application.
Participants selected in the 2026-2027 cohort will commit to engage, grow, and learn together over two semesters (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027) with a culminating one-week summer experience in 2027. Students will meet in the educational labs at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:15 to 6:15 pm on August 18-September 24, 2026, and January 26-March 4, 2027. The week-long summer 2027 experience (actual dates TBD) will be held from 8-5 pm each day that week, with lunch and snacks provided.
Applications for the 2026-2027 LABS cohort (Cohort X) open January 30, 2026, at 9:00 am and close April 10, 2026, at 5:00 pm. A selection committee will choose which students will be invited to participate in the program, and students will be notified of their selection in May 2026. The program includes a parent orientation the week before the first session in August 2026. Our LABS program aims to provide experiences to students who are either underrepresented in the sciences (in gender or race) or disadvantaged (based on ability or access or lower-income households) and might not traditionally have this opportunity. While special consideration will be given to students who fall within those parameters, we invite any public, private, or home-schooled high school students who meet the grade requirements to apply!
LABS participants will receive monetary stipends each semester to help offset travel expenses and compensate for the potential loss of income due to the inability to work an after-school job while participating in LABS. Additionally, snacks and summer meals will be provided. LABS students will also have access to professional development opportunities and college exam preparation materials.
Please contact us at edoutreach@hudsonalpha.org if you have any questions.
LABS is supported by the National Science Foundation ExLENT grant (Award # 2322497)
Additional support is provided by:
