One-Week Enrichment - Voltage Scholars

The Voltage Scholars program offers the opportunity for a diverse cohort of outstanding high school students with an interest in economics to be exposed to The University of Chicago’s distinctive approach and abundant research and academic opportunities in the field. This program is anchored by The Voltage Effect text and introduces students to the concepts of macroeconomics and microeconomics. For decades, the University of Chicago has led the field of economics with bold, revolutionary ideas. Such ideas are critical to being able to address some of the world’s most challenging problems and crises: poverty, climate change, trade, and healthcare inequities, among many others. Just as critical is bringing a real diversity of perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the table to solve such problems. Currently, there is little diversity among economics majors as compared to other fields. For example, women account for 28.4 percent of the nation’s economics major, and only 14.7 percent of economics majors are Black, Hispanic, or Native American. An important step in tackling this diversity challenge is to gather a broader range of perspectives and backgrounds to widen the field’s ability to contribute to public policy and society. The Voltage Scholars program aims to engage students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds in the study of economics.