BostonU helped organize and lead several educational outreach events and activities to introduce students of varying ages to synthetic biology!
In partnership with STEM Pathways, a nonprofit dedicated to developing a system of mentorship
to cultivate student researchers in synthetic biology, BostonU mentored young students interested
in synthetic biology.
Events
High School Lab Training
Alongside STEM Pathways, we lead a lab training for high school students in our lab space at Boston University! Kevin walked the students through a miniprep, transformation, and plating of bacteria expressing blue fluorescent protein. The students made plate art with their blue fluorescent bacteria!
STEM in the City
Cass and Linda, along with Rachel, lead a series of synbio activities with students from Boston Public Schools in order to introduce them to the basics of synthetic biology, including molecular cloning, bioethics, and microfluidics.
Summer Pathways
Cass and Linda lead activities from STEM in the City with high school students participating in Summer Pathways, a program that helps girls in STEM find research areas they are passionate about. Summer Pathways facilitates workshops and activities as part of a summer program for girls interested in STEM at Boston University. Fun fact: Rachel is a Summer Pathways alumna!
STEM Pathways Day of Learning
Cass, Linda, and Kevin expanded on an activity from STEM in the City and Summer Pathways, called "VirEX", designed to introduce students to the conceptual underpinnings of minipreps, restriction enzyme digestion and ligation, and transformation for synthetic biology. Then, with a group of high school students, Linda and Kevin lead VirEX and other activities to introduce students to the theory behind synthetic biology.
BioBuilder Panels
Cass and Kevin served as panelists for different groups of students to expose them to what it's like to be an undergraduate researcher. Kevin's group was a group of middle school students participating in a summer program which stewards the development of middle school students' entrepreneurial ideas in STEM-related contexts. Cass's group was an organization of high school teachers who met at LabCentral in Cambridge, to foster a dialogue on the transition of high school students into undergraduate scientists.
