Overview of the Program

Beacon Scholars Research Program

The Beacon Scholars Research Program is our flagship initiative and spans 12 weeks (9 mentor meetings), culminating in your final research paper.

Below is the timeline for the program, alongside scholar responsibility and expected time commitment per week. In particular, the course is broken into two main parts: Expertise Building & Preparation and Development. The program is totally free.

In the first section, lasting roughly from week 1-4, scholars spend time exploring their subject area with the help of their mentor. This process can include reading up on preexisting work in the field, learning the basics of the research skills in the field, etc. In the second section, students begin to build their research paper. Weeks 5-8 are the primarily ‘building weeks’, where scholars are expected to do the bulk of their writing. In week 9, students will have to submit their first draft of the paper which is then followed by the final draft on week 12.

There will also be an online Graduation Ceremony for selected students to share their research and receive feedback after the completion of the program

Breakdown of the Program

Submission Deadlines

Checkpoints

While you have an established deadline calendar that has been shared with you above here are a few important checkpoints for you to keep in mind as you move through the Individual Research Program.

Week 1 – Setting the tone and defining the topic

In the Week 1 session, we encourage you to share your background and specific areas of interest. Your mentor will also be sharing their expertise and background with you. This will help your mentor get a sense of your expectations and develop their course accordingly.

Week 3 – Research question due

By week 3, you need to submit your research question.

Week 4 – Defining the research topic

At the end of Week 4, you should have a clearly articulated research question, topic, and the proposal. This research topic should be defined in written form and shared directly with your mentor.

Week 5 – Paper outline due

By Week 5, the your paper should be starting to take shape. To ensure you are on track, you will turn in a paper outline, modeled after this format.

Week 7 – Milestone due

Between weeks 6-8, you should start making substantial progress on the paper. To ensure that this happens, you need to make a submission in Week 7. If the paper type is anything other than a literature review, you need to submit the Literature Review section or a complete Methods section; otherwise, submit at least 900 words of the review.

Week 9 – Final paper completed

The first complete draft of the research should be completed. This means that you will have completed all of the major sections of the paper.

Week 12 – Revised final research paper completed

A final 15-20 page double-spaced paper (approx. 5,000-6,000 words) that has incorporated all mentor and writing instructor feedback.

Week 13 – Evaluation and graduation ceremony

After you submit your final revised paper, you and your guidance counselor will receive an evaluation form filled out by your mentor.

After the conclusion of the program, we will be hosting a graduation ceremony celebrating you and your work!