HK Maker Lab

What is the Hk Maker Lab? The Hk Maker Lab is an intensive six-week summer program to learn the foundations of design. Focusing on addressing a health problem, participants will design, prototype, and test a biomedical device and develop an associated business plan. The program will culminate in a presentation to leading executives from the biomedical community. The Hk Maker Lab projects might then be incubated using the state-of-the-art facilities at Harlem Biospace.

We anticipate this program will attract extremely motivated students, who will gain incredible “Maker” skills after this intense curriculum and who will in turn become student leaders of such programs in their college work.

Hear what some past students had to say about their Hk Maker Lab experience in the video slideshow above.

Stay tuned for more information regarding applications for the Summer 2022 program!

Eligibility and Application Process

Applicants will be selected based on academic performance and past leadership experiences, their demonstrated interest in Hk Maker Lab and engineering design, and their ability to collaboratively solve problems in a team setting. There is very limited amount of space for this program, so please take your time to put together a well thought-out application.

Applicant Requirements

Hk Maker Lab is committed to serving NYC high school students from low-income communities. The applicant must:

  1. Attend a NYC high school during this academic school year
    Note: Due to the rigor and demands of the program, preference will be given to rising juniors and seniors.

  2. Demonstrate economic or educational disadvantage based on the below criteria:
    a. Applicant attends a NYC high school with a Free and Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL) rate of 70% or higher
    OR
    b. Applicant family income qualifies for FRPL, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or other similar government aid but attends a NYC high school with a FRPL rate below 70% (you can check your school here). Documentation of Government aid qualification must be provided with application materials.

Application Process

Upon receiving your application materials, your application will be carefully reviewed. Applicants will then be assigned to one of three categories: acceptance, rejection, or waitlisted. Students who are waitlisted may be asked to interview with the Recruitment Team in early April. All students will be notified of their final application status by the last week in April.

Students who are interested in the program or who have any questions regarding the application, should contact [email protected]

Application Checklist

  • Academic History

    • Current High School Transcript

    • Attendance Record for the 2018-19 School Year

  • Essays (1-4)

  • Two letters of recommendation

  • Proof of FRPL qualification (only if your high school has a FRPL rate below 70%)

Submitting Your Application

The Hk Maker Lab Recruitment Team will review all applications. Selections will be based on the applicant’s answers to the above questions, commitment to attend all sessions, academic history, recommendations and other supporting materials. Completed applications can be submitted via an online portal. Recommenders for students who apply online should email recommendation letters separately to: [email protected]

At least one of your recommenders must be a math, science or engineering teacher. Your recommender should be a teacher, mentor, counselor, advisor, or employer who knows you in a professional, academic, or volunteer context. Select a recommender that can relate specific and relevant details about your performance, skills, and unique abilities. Relatives may not provide a recommendation.

If you have any questions about how to submit your application, please email the Hk Maker Lab Recruitment Team at [email protected].