  The last decade has seen a proliferation of mentoring programs that provide
high-school students authentic research experiences. Such programs expose
students to front-line research, equip them with basic research skills
(including coding skills), and introduce them to scientist role models. Mentors
in such programs range from undergraduate students to faculty members. Here, I
describe the founding and first two years of operation of the Harvard Science
Research Mentoring Program (SRMP). This program specifically recruits advanced
graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to serve as mentors. By mentoring
high-school students over a long timescale (September to May), early-career
scientists gain hands-on experience in the skills required to advise
students|skills that are often required of them in future academic positions
yet seldom taught by academic institutions. Finally, I invite directors of
existing and prospective SRMPs to join the Global SPHERE Network, through which
directors of SRMPs around the world can share their experiences, best
practices, and questions.
