The Challenge
Access to professional careers has long depended on a narrow set of pathways: students compete for scarce internships, fighting for spots through college career offices, tapping into personal networks, or navigating complex application processes. While nearly 80% of high school students express interest in work-based learning experiences that could launch their careers, only 34% are aware of any opportunities for students their age, and just 2% have completed hands-on career learning experiences during high school — a clear sign our current and historic models do not work for everyone. This system leaves behind community college students and those from underserved communities, who often lack the networks, flexibility, and resources needed for conventional internship programs. The cost of this systemic barrier is twofold: talented students miss crucial professional development opportunities, and companies miss out on diverse perspectives and potential talent.
The healthcare industry particularly feels the impact of these missed connections in clinical research. When barriers limit early exposure to healthcare careers and research opportunities, it affects who ultimately shapes and conducts clinical trials. This lack of perspectives has real consequences: clinical trials consistently fail to reflect the populations they aim to serve, leading to critical gaps in understanding how treatments affect different communities and limiting the development of more effective, targeted approaches. Of 32,000 U.S. clinical trial participants in 2020, a mere 8% were Black, 11% Hispanic and 6% Asian — numbers that reveal a dangerous gap in medical research. This disparity isn't just about numbers; it's about lives. Our health outcomes are intrinsically shaped by where and how we live, our cultural practices and genetic backgrounds. When clinical trials fail to reflect this diversity, we're not just missing data points — we're potentially developing treatments that may be less effective, or even harmful, for vast segments of our population. This exclusion creates a vicious cycle; underrepresentation leads to treatments optimized for majority groups, which can result in poorer health outcomes for minorities, further deepening health disparities.
The Solution
With support from American Student Assistance and the Walton Family Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) in 2023. By standing up eight Clearinghouses across the nation, the program engaged 119 students in 13 industry-led project challenges, providing real-world learning experiences that bridge education and career pathways. Clearinghouses are host organizations for EPIC, recruiting and overseeing the employer partners that provide the real-world challenges, and the educational institutions who supply the teams of students. iBIO, a non-profit based in Chicago dedicated to growing the Midwest life sciences sector and talent pipeline, served as one of the first Clearinghouses. Clearinghouses serve as the host organizations for EPIC, recruiting and overseeing the employer partners that provide the real-world challenges, and the educational institutions who supply the teams of students. In this crucial role, iBIO leverages its member network — including companies, universities, service providers, and venture firms representing over 85,000 life sciences professionals — to connect students with real-world industry challenges.
iBIO’s EPIC challenge, in collaboration with industry partners, Amgen and Medline Industries, asked participants from Waubonsee Community College and Oak Park River Forest High School to develop comprehensive strategies to promote diversity and representation in clinical trials. The strategies needed to address barriers such as limited access to healthcare, cultural perceptions, educational disparities, and systemic inequalities with the ultimate goal of achieving equitable participation across demographics and ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute to these critical research endeavors.
The Riipen platform, which serves as EPIC's technological backbone and was developed and provided to Clearinghouses, played a transformative role in the program's success. “Riipen was a game-changer for launching our EPIC projects,” notes iBIO Senior Vice President Ann Vogel. “The platform’s infrastructure eliminated typical start-up hurdles by providing an organized framework for project management, allowing us to focus on creating meaningful experiences rather than administrative tasks. It provided the perfect foundation to help us hit the ground running and plan for future scale.” The Riipen platform streamlines project management through its integrated tools for communication, document sharing, and progress tracking between students and industry mentors. By leveraging digital platforms for presentations and collaboration, EPIC eliminates geographic barriers and transportation challenges that may have prevented underserved students from participating. This digital option proved particularly valuable for Waubonsee Community College students, many of whom balance work, family and academic responsibilities.
Connecting Education to Workforce Training
From an educator perspective, Waubonsee professor and EPIC project leader Sheela Vemu, Ph.D., stated that the EPIC project provided a “unique opportunity for student growth and mindset change by giving students a chance to be curious, build on their individual strengths, and have conversations with industry that showcases their talents.” Dr. Veemu also noted, “the value of EPIC to a classroom educator cannot be overstated. The world requires our students to have these experiences and this combination of 21st century skills to be successful in the workforce. Yet we have no predictable way of making these connections for our students directly.”
Allison Hennings, lead teacher for the Advanced Placement Research, Design, and Innovation class at Oak Park River Forest High School (OPRF) led the integration of iBIO’s EPIC project into the class’s existing curriculum and provided additional academic support to ensure students could balance program participation with their studies. "The experience working on the EPIC Project case study for my students was exciting, engaging and provided real-world applications of many of the skills the students work on throughout the year. Digital badging provides a tangible, meaningful way to facilitate conveying unique skill sets of the students to their potential employers and universities. The badge highlights many of the soft skills that are often overlooked. We are thankful for the opportunity and continued cutting edge experiences that iBio facilitates for high school students." Faculty members at both Waubonsee and OPRF served as project advisors, helping students navigate both technical and professional challenges.
Authentic Engagement
Unlike simulated business projects, EPIC challenges connect students directly with industry leaders, and provides them with the opportunity to work on authentic business challenges. This authenticity resulted in high levels of student engagement and produced valuable insights for corporate partners. Amgen and Medline's involvement extended beyond simply developing project challenges. Both companies dedicated senior staff to providing resource material and detailed feedback on student performance. Amanda Beasley, director of representation in clinical research (RISE) at Amgen, Inc. observed, "The students brought fresh perspectives informed by their own experiences and communities. Improving inclusivity in clinical trials is a very difficult task. Even when the student recommendations were not necessarily novel, they were validating the Amgen approach."
A Scalable Solution
iBIO’s EPIC program success with Amgen and Medline provides a replicable model for scaling project-based learning opportunities for high school and post-secondary students across the country. The combination of utilizing a technology platform, employer mentorship, and academic support created a comprehensive support system for students new to professional environments. This structure helps students develop both technical and soft skills while building confidence in professional interactions. Mentorship, and academic support created a comprehensive support system for students new to professional environments. This structure helps students develop both technical and soft skills while building confidence in professional interactions.
The success of iBIO’s EPIC pilot project has created momentum for expansion, with both current partners planning to increase their involvement and new companies expressing interest. As the program scales, we believe its impact on educational equity and industry innovation will continue to grow, creating a more inclusive pathway to professional success.
Organizations interested in joining the EPIC network and bringing the program to their community should focus on several key implementation factors for success:
- Securing dedicated industry mentors to guide development of an authentic challenge is crucial.
- Establishing clear project scopes and deliverables from the outset helps manage expectations for both students and industry partners.
- Building in flexibility to accommodate students’ varying schedules and responsibilities ensures broader participation and higher completion rates.
Investing in diverse talent through structured, real-world projects creates lasting value for all stakeholders. For companies seeking to build their talent pipeline while making meaningful social impact, EPIC minimizes administrative burden while maximizing student engagement and learning outcomes. When organizations provide meaningful opportunities and the right support structures, students excel in professional environments, while companies gain fresh perspectives and build connections with future talent. The win-win model represents a practical first step toward creating a more equitable and innovative future workforce.
Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC), an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, provides access to a national network of employer facing organizations and other challenge providers to deliver high-quality, project-based learning. With support from the American Student Assistance and the Walton Family Foundation, EPIC enables students to gain industry credentials and professional experience through hands-on projects.
iBio is a partner in the EPIC pilot program. In their first round of challenges, they brought together teams of high school students and community college students to address how to ensure clinical trial sample populations are representatively diverse.
Learn more about EPIC here.
About the authors
Ann Vogel
Ann Vogel is Senior Vice President of Charitable Programs for the iBIO Institute. iBIO Institute is a public charity focused on providing education, training, and research to support the life sciences community in Illinois and the surrounding Midwest.
