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.
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
A Professional Research Experience As a High School Student
Upcoming high school seniors are facing an important question — “What is my future going to look like after I graduate?” Whether college, industry, or workforce-bound, now is the time for these students to investigate their opportunities beyond high school. For two incoming seniors, Kaia and Naomi, their time exploring this summer was spent conducting biomedical research through the ten-week PROMISE Scholar program here at Sanford Research. Read about their experiences from the summer below.
Meet the Scientists Paola Vermeer
Dr. Paola Vermeer is an associate scientist at Sanford Research. She obtained her Ph.D. from Columbia University in New York City in 1998. Her post-doctoral research fellowship was completed at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Iowa. She worked with Dr. Michael J. Welsh. After her post-doc, she stayed in that lab as a Research Scientist until 2008. She had recently discovered that tumors release small vesicles called exosomes that induce tumor innervation.
Top 5 Interactive Life Science Websites
This one is for the science teachers. Whether you are exhausted, need a good sub plan, or want to try something different, an interactive lesson is a great way to engage students. Here are a few of the PROMISE team’s favorite interactive life science websites and why we love them.
Resources
Transcription Translation Looping Activity
PrintableProtein synthesis is an essential part of understanding cell function and is a central part of life-science curriculum. This looping activity allows students to move around the classroom while transcribing and translating a protein.
Probabilities of Inheritance
PrintableThere are over 10,000 rare diseases that affect over 30 million Americans. Many rare diseases follow a Mendelian pattern of inheritance. This activity allows students to apply their knowledge of Mendelian genetics patterns and encourages them to research what is known about the diseases. The National Organization for Rare Disorders has information that can be used by students.
Using Punnett Squares
PrintableThis worksheet will apply classroom topics to real-life science.