About

Berkeley Lab Director’s Apprenticeship Program (BLDAP) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is a six-week, project-based STEM apprenticeship designed to help rising high school juniors and seniors develop practical scientific and technical skills while building a professional STEM network in a national laboratory environment. Hosted by Berkeley Lab’s K-12 STEM Education and Outreach team, the program emphasizes hands-on interdisciplinary learning, introductions to research methods, and structured engagement with scientists, engineers, and research staff.

Each summer, BLDAP runs in person from mid-June through late July (specifically June 16 – July 24, 2026). Participants work on short project modules designed to build 21st-century research skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, scientific communication, and introductory coding/data science using Python and related tools. The curriculum includes hands-on activities in fields ranging from data science and machine learning to bioscience experiments and weekly discussions with Berkeley Lab professionals, culminating in presentations that synthesize students’ work and insights from the experience.

BLDAP is open to current high school sophomores and juniors (10th and 11th grade) who are at least 16 years old by the start of the program (June 16, 2026). Applicants must be full-time residents and enrolled in public schools in Alameda, Contra Costa, or San Francisco counties in Northern California. While students from surrounding counties are encouraged to apply, the program is non-residential; students are expected to commute to the Berkeley Lab site (or designated shuttle stops in Oakland, Emeryville, or Berkeley) at least four days per week. BLDAP is paid, with participants receiving a stipend of $500 per week. Selection is application-based and competitive, requiring a recommendation from a STEM teacher or mentor and a focus on removing systemic barriers for students underrepresented in STEM.

BLDAP offers a structured bridge between classroom STEM and professional practice, focusing on skill development, career awareness, and network building rather than independent research. It is well-suited for motivated Bay Area students who want early exposure to scientific problem-solving and laboratory culture in the context of a major national laboratory.