Tag: SEPA

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Putting West Virginia Students on the Path to Scientific Careers

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Logos of the West Virginia HSTA and WV-INBRE programs. HSTA’s logo shows a colorful icon image of the human body’s muscular system, with a state icon of West Virginia off to the left. INBRE’s logo shows a double helix overtop a state icon of West Virginia.
Credit: NIGMS.

Two NIGMS-funded programs are teaming up to shape the future of science and technology in West Virginia (WV). One engages high school students in science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine (STEM+M); introduces them to research; and provides direct access to college through tuition waivers. In the other program, undergraduate students are paired with a researcher at their institution for a paid internship—an important step toward a career in science.

The Health Sciences & Technology Academy

“We liken our students to rosebuds. As they grow, you see them blossom into self-confident leaders,” says Catherine Morton, Ed.D., director of the Health Sciences & Technology Academy (HSTA) in West Virginia. This mentoring program is supported in part by an NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA).

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Inspiring the Next Generation of Scientists Through CityLab

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CityLab logo. The name CityLab written over an outline of a city inside an Erlenmeyer flask.
Credit: CityLab.

“Many of the students we work with don’t have access to a laboratory through their local schools. For them, CityLab is their first exposure to a laboratory environment—these are hugely important moments for these kids,” says Carl Franzblau, Ph.D., the founder of CityLab at Boston University (BU). CityLab was established more than 30 years ago as a science education outreach program for precollege students and teachers through a partnership between the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development at BU.

“Since our first Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant in 1991, our mission has been to inspire students to consider careers in the biomedical sciences and broaden the opportunities that are available to them,” says Carla Romney, D.Sc., the director of research for CityLab. Continuous SEPA funding since 1991 has allowed CityLab to fulfill its mission and provide students with state-of-the-art biotechnology laboratory facilities and curricula.

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Spotlighting SEPA for National STEM Day

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The NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program provides opportunities for pre-K-12 students from underserved communities to access STEM educational resources. SEPA grants support innovative, research-based, science education programs, furthering NIGMS’ mission to ensure a strong and diverse biomedical research workforce. SEPA projects generate resources that are mapped to state and national teaching standards for STEM and are rigorously evaluated for effectiveness; most are also available at no cost. These resources include mobile laboratories, interactive health exhibits in museums and science centers, educational resources for students, and professional development for teachers. Projects engage students and encourage them to envision themselves having careers in biomedical research.

To celebrate National STEM Day, we’re taking a look back at some of the SEPA projects we’ve recently featured on the blog, as well as our STEM teaching resources website, which includes several SEPA-funded materials. Check out the snapshots of each of the projects with links to the full articles and the teaching website below.

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Chemistry Under the Big Top

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The Authentic Community Engagement in Science project is dedicated to getting young students excited about STEM and its place in their communities.
Large red letters spell “ACES” above smaller text that reads “Authentic Community Engagement in Science.”
Credit: ACES.

“Our main goal is to get elementary students excited to learn about STEM, and for them to see how beautiful and relevant science can be to communities in eastern Montana,” says Amanda Obery, Ph.D., an assistant professor in elementary education at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Dr. Obery co-leads the Authentic Community Engagement in Science (ACES) project with Matt Queen, Ph.D., an assistant professor in biological and physical sciences at Montana State University Billings (MSUB).

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Students With Visual Impairments Empowered to Explore Chemistry Through SEPA Project

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High school students in lab coats and safety goggles feeling tactile graphics while two scientists perform demonstrations of experiments in fume hoods. Dr. Shaw stands in the background.
Dr. Shaw (back left) observes SEPA program students engaging with tactile graphics in his lab. Credit: Jordan Koone

Students with blindness and low vision are often excluded from chemistry labs and offered few accessible representations of the subject’s imagery, which can significantly hinder their ability to learn about and participate in chemistry. Bryan Shaw, Ph.D., a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, hopes to change that through a program funded by an NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA). His inspiration to start the program came from his son, who is visually impaired due to childhood eye cancer, and his son’s friends who have also experienced partial or complete vision loss.

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Sparking Rural Students’ Interest in STEM

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When asked why he leads the NIGMS-supported Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, Roger D. Sloboda, Ph.D., the Ira Allen Eastman Professor of Biological Sciences (emeritus), shares a story. Several years ago, he learned of a public-school science teacher in rural New Hampshire who had a very limited budget for classroom equipment. With her annual budget, she’d been able to buy a single stainless-steel laboratory cart. “Next year, I hope to buy a piece of equipment to put on it,” she said. A short time later, Dr. Sloboda attended a scientific meeting and talked to a student from a private school in Washington, D.C., who was presenting a poster about his research project studying the effects of household chemicals on zebrafish development. Dr. Sloboda asked the student how he was able to work with zebrafish, because they require specialized, expensive facilities. The student responded that his school maintained its own zebrafish facility.

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The League of VetaHumanz: Encouraging Kids to Use Their Powers for Good!

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Dr. San Miguel standing in front of a van full of boxes wearing a mask and a cape.
Pink Phoenix, alter ego of Dr. Sandra San Miguel, preparing to pass out Vaccine SuperPower Packs described later in this post. Credit: Courtesy of Dr. Sandra San Miguel.

“I’m Pink Phoenix, leader of the Vetahumanz League of superheroes, and it’s the best job in the world.” The League of VetaHumanz is a superhero league for veterinarians, founded and led by Pink Phoenix, the alter ego of Sandra San Miguel, D.V.M., Ph.D. Through support from the NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program, the league seeks to diversify the veterinary profession.

Members of the league work with elementary students across the country to give them a sense of belonging to the veterinary profession. “I’m most proud of bringing people together who share the mission and vision with all their heart,” Pink Phoenix remarks. “Nobody can just be a member of the league. You have to earn the cape.” The league has over 400 certified role models throughout the country who are either veterinarians—VetaHumanz—or veterinary school students—VetaHumanz in training.

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New NIH-Wide Resource for K-12 Educators

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A dark blue background with large colorful letters in the title. Under the title “STEM Teaching Resources,” the text reads “innovative NIH-funded content to engage K-12 students in health science.” In the bottom corners, are a green bar with the website “science.education.nih.gov” and the NIGMS logo.

Attention, educators! We’re announcing a new clearinghouse of free STEM education resources covering a wide range of health and biomedical research topics for students in grades K through 12. The STEM teaching resources website provides links to great content from various institutes and centers within NIH, as well as materials developed under the NIGMS Science Education Partnership Award program.

The resources are easy to navigate within the following subject areas:

  • Being a Scientist
  • The Brain & Mental Health
  • Diseases & Conditions
  • Drug Use & Addiction
  • The Environment & Human Health
  • Genetics
  • Healthy Living
  • The Human Body
  • Molecules & Cells
  • Scientific Tools & Methods
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Spark Student Interest in Science with SEPA-Funded Education Materials

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NIGMS cares deeply about our future generations of scientists. That’s why we continue to fund educational tools that make science exciting for students with the hope of steering them toward career paths in science. These materials are available to educators for free through the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program.

SEPA funds innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM Link to external web site) and Informal Science Education (ISE Link to external web site) projects for pre-kindergarten through grade 12. By encouraging interactive partnerships between biomedical and clinical researchers and educators, schools, and other interested organizations, SEPA provides opportunities to:

  • Motivate students from underserved communities to consider careers in basic or clinical research
  • Improve community health literacy

SEPA-Funded Resources

Here are just a few SEPA-funded resources that educators can use to peak their students’ interest in science:

Charles Darwin Synthetic Interview Link to external web site (middle school through grade 9, and general public)

Still shot of a virtual Charles Darwin standing by a chalkboard that reads The Synthetic Review: Darwin and waiting for the app user to make their selection.
Credit: The Partnership in Education.

In this free interactive experience for iOS and Android devices, students learn about Charles Darwin, the naturalist, geologist, and leading contributor to the fundamental principles of evolution. Students select from a list of questions to ask a virtual Darwin and receive insight into topics that include:

  • His childhood and personal quirks
  • His adventures
  • Principles of evolution
  • Public response to his discovery

Modern-day biologists and other experts provide commentary and answer questions beyond Darwin’s 19th century knowledge. A pay version of the app includes many more questions and answers. Lesson plans and other lessons on evolution Link to external web site are also included with the apps, which were developed by The Partnership in Education at Duquesne University Link to external web site, along with several other SEPA-funded resources.

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Engage Students in Science with SEPA-Funded Education Materials

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As school starts up again, we look forward to a year that further enhances health and science literacy and brings students closer to pursuing science as an exciting future career. The National Institutes of Health continues to help both educators and students toward these goals through its Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) Program Exit icon.

What Is SEPA?

SEPA funds innovative science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and informal science education (ISE) projects for students in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 (P-12), as well as public outreach activities such as science museum exhibits. Its goal is to invest in educational activities, including interactive online resources, that improve the training of a future workforce to meet the country’s biomedical research needs. SEPA encourages partnerships between biomedical researchers and P-12 teachers, schools, and other interested groups. SEPA provides:

  • Opportunities for students from underserved communities to learn about careers in basic or clinical research.
  • Professional development, skills, and knowledge building for science teachers.
  • Support for science centers and museum exhibits on health and medicine to improve community health literacy.

In March 2017, SEPA found its new home with the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). Congress mandated the move so that SEPA could more efficiently integrate with our other institution-building and research training programs and increase collaboration opportunities between them.

SEPA-Funded Resources

The following are just some of the various SEPA-funded resources that educators can use to engage their students in science:

Spiral of Life Mural Series: Animal Evolution Exit icon. Credit: Duquesne University.

The Partnership in Education: movies, games, and curricula Exit icon (elementary and middle school)

The Partnership in Education at Duquesne University specializes in using cutting-edge technologies and creative media platforms—including videos, apps, posters, and lesson plans—to bring science to life and inspire lifelong learning. Topics include development Exit icon, evolution Exit icon, the science of sleep, and regenerative medicine Exit icon.

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