Stay tuned for event announcements!
SciMed GRS Outreach is excited to share that this year we will be focusing on networking with and planning community events with other student organizations on campus such as BGSA, SACNAS, and Engineering GRS! Contact us & join our email list at [email protected]
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The outreach committee partnered with Centro Hispano coordinators to bring students from Sennet and Wright Middle/High School to explore different scientific stations in the 'mercadito' - a communal area at the Centro's headquarters. The students had a hands-on opportunity to become familiar with scientific topics such as gas exchange, acidity in different household items, polarity, precipitates, among others.This was the message from Rachel, one of the coordinators: " Muchas gracias for making our workshop at Centro Hispano a smashing success! I know our Juventud students loved meeting you guys and your grad student colleagues. Too often the career and academic role models who are able to come and speak with our students, do not look like our students and do not share their cultural background. So the SciMed field trip was really special because our students got to meet not just one or two but a whole bunch of researchers of color in whom our kids can see themselves more clearly. Plus, you brought goggles! Our students love the paraphrenalia and looking the part!
We joined our friends at EngineerGRS in their yearly Science Night at Nuestro Mundo Elementary School. This was a night of experiments and hands-on activities for students (1-7th) and their families! The theme this year was: Space and Gravity. Past Science Nights have greatly influenced both the students and parents at Nuestro Mundo and the school's overall performance has improved! This is a quote from Nancy (GRS outreach coordinator): "Last Thursday we had Science Night at Nuestro Mundo Elementary school and it was a success. I wanted to extend my thanks to the outreach committee and all the volunteers (GERS and Sci-Med GRS) that attended Science Night or helped with organizing. This event would not be possible without all of your help, so big thanks to all of you!" (photos attached) Outreach Committee held a "Lab Basics" workshop where graduate students trained interested younger students how to perform fundamental laboratory techniques. This two day workshop included techniques like bacterial growth through plate streaking and colony isolation, as well as using PCR to amplify a gene of interest. The PCR results were then analyzed through gel electrophoresis. Not sure if the graduate students or the undergraduates had more fun.. The gels turned out awesome! Check out some pictures below! Darwin Day: February 12th 2:30-4:30, Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Oututreach Committee recently hosted a booth for the annual Darwin Day celebrating Human Evolution and Entomophagy & Locomotion! We had had a fun evolution themed arcade game and our wonderful volunteers taught visiting elementary school children fun facts about evolution! Around 15 undergraduates who will be applying for graduate school attended our Outreach seminar on how to write a powerful graduate school application. The seminar began with some delicious pizza and a powerpoint presentation given by Troy King Jr. Troy covered the basic components of the general application as well as what reviewers are typically looking for in an applicant. Later, a panel assembled of volunteers from the SciMed GRS Fellowship program give personal student insights and advice about how to compose a powerful, yet authentic application. Suggestions ranged from resume formatting, use of the active language, and encouraging humor and personality in the personal statements. Prior to the event, students were encouraged to bring their drafts of application materials such as personal statements, research statements, or resumes for the graduate students to critique and offer suggestions. It was so insightful to get to learn more about those currently applying and we hope our suggestions were well met! Good luck to each and every applicant who attended!
SciMedGRS volunteered with College Goal Wisconsin, a program where families and students get expert assistance with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We assisted by helping families through the process of applying for financial aid at LaFollete High School's computer lab. We wish only the best for these next generation of students entering college! On April 20th, Jennifer Gilbert, Nadia Khan, and Dee Robinson did an activity on testing for the presence of macromolecules in different foods at Jefferson Middle School. They explored the differences between lipid, carbs, and proteins and used different staining reagents to look at the presence of the molecules in foods people commonly consume on a daily basis. Additionally, the students learned the importance of maintaining a balanced diet.
On Saturday, March 4 our outreach group led a hands on workshop with high school students between the ages 13 and 17. Our purpose was to engage students in science by introducing them to topics not typically discussed in a high school science curriculum. We decided to do experiments related to Neuroscience and Renewable Energy.
In our Neuroscience activity, we had the students learn about visuo-motor plasticity using eye prism glasses. They learned how the brain can adapt to visual alterations, if given an adaptation period. In our Renewable Energy activity, we introduced students to photovoltaic cells. We wanted them to learn how light intensity can affect how much electricity a solar cell can produce. Both our activities were hands on and fun for students, but at the same time taught them important concepts they might not get in a regular classroom setting. Thanks to all of the volunteers for helping out! We hope to see you all in our upcoming outreach events... Details Coming Soon! To start off our semester of outreach activities, we had our Second Annual Financial Aid Night at LaFollete High School. This initiative started in order to connect with local underrepresented high school students in the Madison area and help them through the process of financing their college education. We had a collaborator from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Financial Aid Office, Joselyn Diaz-Valdes, present useful financial aid information to high school students and their parents. In addition to this, we had a graduate student panel where graduate students answered questions about financial aid and shared their own stories about college. The event was a success, we had great feedback and were invited back for next year! |