Future Laboratorians
Take a Tour
The Indiana Department of Health Laboratory welcomes students of any age to experience what it’s like to work in a public health lab. Students can participate in a variety of activities from lab tours to hands-on experiments at the training lab.
Individual Opportunities
Lab Tour
Come and learn about each area of the laboratory during a laboratory tour. Tours can be adjusted from 30 minutes to two hours. Tours are recommended for students in middle school and above. At the end of each tour, students will spend time learning about laboratory careers and have an opportunity to ask questions.
Job Shadowing
Students at least 16 years of age and older are eligible to come into the lab for a one-day or multi-day job shadowing experience. Students can pick between a general laboratory shadowing experience or select a specific laboratory section to match their interests. College students considering a career in the IDOH public health laboratory are strongly encouraged to job shadow throughout their college education. Prospective job shadowing students are required to complete online training and fill out of a waiver before participating.
Group Opportunities
In-School Demonstrations
When requested, an IDOH laboratory staff member will travel to local schools to complete a classroom demonstration. Topics include handwashing, bacteria, outbreak investigations, pipette and plating experiments, and more. Staff will work closely with the teacher requesting the demonstration to ensure the programming is a good fit for the classroom. This experience can be adjusted for any age group, elementary to college, and for various time constraints.
Field Trips
For this experience, students come to the IDOH Laboratory to spend time as true laboratorians. Student groups up to 40 people can be accommodated. Students are divided into small groups to rotate through a presentation, lab tour and experiment in the e-training lab. The experiment and presentation can be tailored to the age and learning objectives of the requesting teacher. This experience is approximately three hours and does not include lunch accommodations.
STEM Outreach Events
The IDOH laboratory staff can attend various community events to set up a booth and host STEM-related activities. Staff members have participated in Celebrate Science, the Indiana Public Schools STEM fair, and the Conner Prairie STEM fair. Activities can include hand washing with GloGerm, fomite plates, pipettes, coloring, pH indicators and more. Please contact the laboratory at least two months in advance of your event to ensure the team has sufficient time to plan activities and staffing.
Please fill out the form below to contact our Student Opportunities liaison and set up your students for their own laboratory experience!