My Streetscape Summer Research Institute

Overview

The My Streetscape Summer Research Institute is an interdisciplinary education program on urban technology and trust organized by the the Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3), in partnership with the Trust Collaboratory at Columbia University and the Institute for Sensing and Embedded Network Systems Engineering (I-SENSE) at Florida Atlantic University.

High school students from New York City and Palm Beach County, FL can apply for this CS3 cohort as part of the Columbia Engineering E.N.G. program to hone their interests in engineering and the social sciences, regardless of their level of experience or knowledge.

Students are paid $15 per hour for their participation.

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Marrying the social sciences with engineering: Our program trains students for "field work" in the neighborhood where they conduct interviews with residents and gather data.

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Visualizing social issues in the neighborhood: Students explore how technology shapes social life in Harlem, New York and West Palm Beach.

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Success: The first My Streetscape cohort celebrates the conclusion of six weeks of learning at Columbia.

Apply for the My Streetscape Summer Research Institute through the Columbia Engineering E.N.G. program. Applications for Summer 2025 will open in November!

Watch our feature to learn more about our vision of community-based researched on trust and urban technology.

Program Goals

Receive training in the fundamentals of smart streetscape technology, through real-time, hyper-local streetscape applications built on advancements in edge-cloud technology, wireless-optical engineering, visual analytics, and computer security.

Collaborate with research faculty, staff, and students, practice new skills, and take part in multi-level mentorship.

Learn social science research methods in combination with visual-narrative strategies from the humanities and arts that are grounded in the photovoice method to reflect critically but also productively on the impact of technology on New York City’s and West Palm Beach's built environments.

Participate in college prep workshops, science communications workshops, and additional supplemental seminars and opportunities.

Program Details

  • Six-week session (July 7-Aug. 15, 2025)
  • 20 hours per week
  • In-person sessions hosted Columbia University and Palm Beach County, FL.
  • Students are paid $15 per hour
  • Student Responsibilities:
    • Attend all summer program activities
    • Complete assigned research project, final presentation, and report
    • Attend a community-facing event that presents students’ research findings and project contributions to the public
    • Complete program assessment surveys

Eligibility

  • Rising high school senior (current 11th graders)
  • U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents
  • Interest in engineering and social science research
  • Must attend a high school located in New York City (strong preference for students at Harlem schools or Harlem residents) or Palm Beach County, FL

Application Requirements

  • Completed application form through the E.N.G. program
  • The ENG Summer 2025 application will open in November!

Information Sessions

Learn more about the My Streetscape Summer Research Institute via Zoom. Program administrators will provide more details about the program and answer questions. Information sessions for 2025 are coming soon. To stay up to date, join the newsletter and follow us on social media below.

Program Leads

Fernanda Martinez

Associate Director of Inclusive Programs
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Cristian Capotescu

Associate Director The Trust Collaboratory Columbia University
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