PRYDE Scholars Program

PRYDE Class of 2025 and Class of 2026. Click here to meet our current cohort of Scholars.
- *Back, from left to right:* Tiernan Weeden, Jennifer Gerfen, Oore Ogunyinka, Isabella Lee, Zachary Meyerson, Daniela Arredondo-Sanchez
- *Middle, from left to right:* Ben Ji-min Loong, Dhruti Raghuraman, Julian Iwasko, Fiona Tracy, Irene Feng, Mariam Laval, Hopper Kendregan
- *Front, from left to right:* Jenna Cho, Karen Chen, Jennifer Navarro Chavez, Promise Woods, Jiayi Guo

The Experience

The PRYDE Scholars Program is a two-year research experience for juniors and seniors in the Cornell College of Human Ecology. PRYDE Scholars are matched with one of our community-engaged and youth-focused Cornell faculty mentors, gain hands-on experience in research-practice partnerships, and take part in a four-semester seminar on translational research and positive youth development.

PRYDE Scholars will:

Receive a stipend each semester, with opportunities to apply for additional funding (i.e: summer stipend, conference and travel funds);
Be paired and work closely with a youth development research lab in the College of Human Ecology (typically 6+ hours per week);
Complete PRYDE-led courses on positive youth development, translational research, and professional development;
Learn how findings from basic research can be applied to address real world concerns in the area of youth development;
And, by working with PRYDE’s community partners (including NYS 4-H and others), effect positive change in the lives of youth in New York State and beyond.

Benefits of becoming a pryde scholar:

Form personal relationships, receive mentorship, and develop a professional network of Cornell staff, faculty researchers, and youth development practitioners from across New York State.
Become part of a tight-knit cohort with other PRYDE Scholars.
Access professional development opportunities (alumni networking, graduate school application workshops, PRYDE social events, etc.).
Training and hands-on experience with youth program development, implementation, and evaluation.
Travel to engage in community youth development projects within a variety of educational settings (classrooms and after-school clubs).
Hone leadership, communication, collaboration, and critical assessment skills — applicable to any career trajectory, especially those involving community-engagement, translational research, and/or youth work.

To hear about the program experience from the perspective of former PRYDE Scholars, listen to this podcast episode, in which students reflect on their growth as translational, youth-focused researchers.

Berns PRYDE Scholars

Annually, two PRYDE Scholars are selected as Berns PRYDE Scholars, supported by the Michael W. and Roberta M. Berns PRYDE Student Research Fund. Over the summer between their junior and senior years, Berns PRYDE Scholars will spearhead translational research projects that facilitate community partnerships. Berns PRYDE Scholars will engage in meaningful research, professional development, and develop the skills and resources to independently lead research-practice partnerships.

The 2024 Berns PRYDE Scholars were Promise Woods ’25 and Jennifer Navarro Chavez ’25. During the summer, they worked to continue the New York State 4-H Contribution Project which gives 4-H youth the opportunity to make a contribution that is meaningful to them.

Applications to the PRYDE Scholars Program are now closed.

Applications open mid-spring of each year.

For more information about applications, click here to watch the 2025 information session.

PRYDE Scholars and Staff at the 2024 New York State Fair

“The ability to work hands-on for different projects made me feel like my time was truly being put towards something effective and important. The program allowed me to have an impact on the larger New York State community while I was still an undergraduate student.”

— Morgan Chadwick, CHE '20