High school students interested in science can apply for the Youth Science Institute program by Dec. 30. This after-school program will be offered from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday evenings at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences on the Sierra Nevada College campus, beginning Jan. 27 and running through May 26. This 15-week program is for high school students in grades nine through 11 who have an interest in exploring different scientific disciplines, return a completed application, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have a commitment to the program. All applicants will go through an interview process and accepted students will need to pay tuition of $250. Many students in past years have been able to receive both partial and full scholarships. The deadline for applications is Dec. 30. Send applications or any questions to Megan Farka at mjfarka@ucdavis.edu or (775) 881-7560, ext. 7483.