Sanford PROMISE
Sanford PROMISE is the outreach arm of Sanford Research. We connect the communities in our region with cutting-edge biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. Sanford PROMISE is the premiere medical research outreach program in the Great Plains region. Through community engagement and rural outreach, we promote science literacy and contribute to STEM workforce development by building awareness of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research.
Our mission is to build awareness of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research and its connection to the standards of care, through community outreach and engagement. We are dedicated to creating a science outreach program that stimulates learners to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and the innovators of tomorrow.
Get the full picture of the Sanford PROMISE impact through this data dashboard.
Resources for educators:
- Lesson plans aligned with national standards, complete with educational slideshows, videos, and hands on activities that are tied to the cutting-edge science done at Sanford Research.
- Professional Development for educators. Registration for summer 2025 opens February 2nd.
- Classroom visits: Bring the PROMISE team to your classroom or bring your class to our state-of-the-art facility at Sanford Research.
- Borrow equipment from our Equipment Lending Library to use for free in your classroom.
- PROMISE Community Lectures are community events that highlight the work done at Sanford Research.
Opportunities for high school students:
- Biomedical Research Investigation Days are day-long immersive experiences in the PROMISE lab. Dive deep into a subject that is studied at Sanford Research on a no-school day.
- Teen Science Café is a group run by teens for teens. This group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at features a different speaker each time. Come to one or come to them all. Open to students in 7th-12th grade.
- PROMISE Community Lectures are community events that highlight the work done at Sanford Research.
- The Research Shadowing Program provides shadow opportunities to students 16 years or older and will give you a chance to check out the daily life of a research scientist.
- PROMISE Scholar Program- This 10 week program is open to students during the summer after their junior year. Applications open every November and close by the end of January.
- Research in Action is a unique one-day shadowing opportunity during the summer.
Opportunities for middle school students:
- Teen Science Café is a group run by teens for teens. This group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at features a different speaker each time. Come to one or come to them all. Open to students in 7th-12th grade.
- Sanford PROMISE offers summer programs for middle school students including one day programs and multiple day programs.
Elementary
We spark curiosity and instill problem-solving skills in younger kids – while making science fun.
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Middle School
Students will dive into the basics of scientific learning and examine the “whys” of our world.
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High School
At advanced levels, we help students apply scientific concepts and take charge of their learning.
Start HereAbout PROMISE
The Sanford Program for the Midwest Initiative in Science Exploration (PROMISE) was developed to connect communities in our region with cutting edge science and research. In 2010, Sanford Research created an outreach program to provide science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) experiences for K-12 students across South Dakota and neighboring states...
Learn More About PROMISEBlog
Meet the Scientists Simona Plesselova
Dr. Simona Plesselova loves a good challenge, which makes her a great scientist. Simona is a post-doctoral fellow in the de la Puente lab at Sanford Research. The de la Puente lab is working to understand the tumor microenvironment by creating models to recapitulate the environment in which a tumor grows. In simple language, they want to know what is going on in a tumor and how the tumor is interacting with the tissues around it.
Meet the Scientists Casey McKenzie
If you get a tour at Sanford Research, you’re bound to meet Casey McKenzie. As the most theatrical scientist on staff, he loves giving tours and meeting new people. Casey is starting his 13th year as a Senior Research Specialist in the Lee Lab at Sanford Research. The Lee Lab studies a rare disease called Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia, which is a disfunction of motile cilia.
Finding Your Roots Camp |What you need to know
What is more interesting than you? That’s the question that led Sanford PROMISE educators to offer a camp called Finding Your Roots. This camp is modeled from a summer camp that is offered at Penn State of the same name and is inspired by the PBS TV program hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. To offer this experience, Sanford PROMISE formed a partnership with Living DNA, a genetic testing company. Living DNA analyzes DNA samples and provides a unique ancestry report for each student. This genetics and ancestry camp has been offered every summer since 2020 and is a one-of-a-kind experience for students.
Resources
Teen Science Cafe Delta Dental
VideoTeen Science Cafe is a student-led group held at Sanford Research once a month. Students invite speakers to teach them about a science topic and do hands-on activities. In this Teen Science Cafe, educators from Delta Dental teach students about tooth decay and how prevention is a much better strategy than treatment.
Using Punnett Squares
PrintableThis worksheet will apply classroom topics to real-life science.
From DNA to Protein
UnitGenetic disorders are traced back to DNA mutations. There any many types of mutations that lead to issues during cell protein creation. In this lesson, students will learn how DNA can affect proteins, discover the effects of a gene mutation, and learn about gene therapy as a treatment option.