SoTS Research Labs offer weekly meetings — in-person in central Princeton, NJ or online via Zoom. Students work on real research projects with direct mentorship from Dr. Sergey Samsonau.
This is not a class. No lectures. Students work on real problems with support — identifying questions, designing approaches, collecting data, analyzing results, and presenting findings.
Many projects require experimental work, equipment, or fieldwork. Students and families identify resources at their school, purchase materials (eBay, hardware stores), or find opportunities in nature around them.
When your child joins a SoTS Lab, they're not getting yesterday's teaching methods - they're participating in educational approaches that are shaping the future of how research skills are taught worldwide.
| Feature | SoTS Research Labs | Others |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3,500/semester (16 weeks spring / 14 weeks fall) | $3,000-$3,700 (~10 sessions) |
| Format | In-person weekly meetings (Princeton) + online option | Almost exclusively online/Zoom |
| Session Frequency | Weekly meetings | Spread over 3-4 months |
| Mission | Built by educators and scientists to enable the best teenage research experience | Primarily focused on producing papers for college admissions |
| Mentor Qualification | PhD educators with multi-year experience mentoring teens in research | Typically grad students & postdocs (subject experts, not specialized in teen education) |
| Learning Model | Small group (5 in-person, 4-6 online) with peer learning — weekly feedback, discussion, learning from others' projects | Typically 1:1 sessions — limited peer interaction |
| Project Ownership | Students formulate their own ideas or join projects created by peers | Students often guided toward mentor's research interests |
| Real-World Access | Field sites, local partnerships (Watershed Institute), hands-on equipment | Virtual only — no physical lab or field access |
| AI Support Between Sessions | Purpose-built AI Research Mentor available 24/7 | Generic AI only (ChatGPT, etc.) |
| Presentation Skills | Regular practice built into weekly meetings | Often limited or extra cost |
| Community | Multi-year relationships — grow with your lab and peers over time | Typically transactional — fixed program length, then done |
| Accountability | Students must demonstrate commitment and progress | Students treated as paying clients — low accountability |
| Publication & Conference Ecosystem | Peer-reviewed journal, popular science magazine, annual conference (NYC) — all built for teen scientists | "Showcasing support" often available at extra cost |
| Research Profile | Documented journey capturing projects, skills, peer reviews, presentations — grows with you | Typically just a paper or project as output |
No labs available at this time.
SoTS Research Labs is a space for students who are curious, active, and engaged. Students should demonstrate progress and commitment. Nobody will force or convince students to do anything.
Students may join with extensive experience or none at all — what matters is committed work and growth.
Looking for a meaningful gift for a nephew, niece, grandchild, or other young person? A semester of real research experience develops unique skills and opens new possibilities. Select "Yes" for gift certificate option in the enrollment form.
Spring 2026 semester starts: January 15, 2026
Check each lab page for available formats (in-person, online). Space is limited.
We invite exceptional research educators.
Our Lab Directors:
PhD or no PhD - there are multiple paths to become an expert in research education. Traditional PhD programs are only one way to get a foundation. Excellence in leading independent research, teaching, and mentoring has to be acquired and demonstrated through experience.
Pioneers of Research Education
SoTS Lab Directors are more than experienced educators - they are developers of next-generation research education methodologies. If you have refined your approach through years of hands-on practice and believe you represent the cutting edge of how teenagers learn to do real science - we want to hear from you.
What you get:
What we expect:
Interested? Email labs@teenscientists.org with your background and how you'd structure a lab.
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