Team:Emory/Public Engagement
Mind Bubble Workshop
In today’s world, science and the merits and validity of research are increasingly being challenged by the general population and powerful political figures. It becomes more and more important to educate and introduce the importance of science and its implications to the younger generation. Our team worked to do this by developing a biotechnology workshop targeted towards students in grades 6 - 9 to provide a fun opportunity to engage in critical thinking and scientific exploration.
Our team coordinated with a local organization called Mind Bubble. The organization works to provide free tutoring and educational workshops to students across the Atlanta area. Members of our team worked together with one of the founders of the organization to develop a workshop that would speak to the targeted student age range and allow for a fun and engaging introduction to biotechnology.
Our workshop explored the way biotechnology could be used for the synthesis of drugs to help people with diabetes. Although scientifically inaccurate, we utilized bacteria rather than yeast as the organism to host the plasmids of interest in order to make the information about genetic engineering more digestible for the students. We also simplified some aspects of plasmids and DNA to make the information easier to understand. The workshop took the students through three different experiments that gradually introduced new ideas and gave them challenges to work through with our team members who helped run the workshop.
The workshop incorporated props made of construction paper and velcro for students to build their bacteria with plasmids. There was also a financial component to the experiments that forced students to think about budgeting for their lab members, bacteria, and genetic material while still trying to achieve their goal. This allowed for information on monetization and costs within biotechnology to be taught on top of the scientific information. All of the students had a great time and said they learned a lot from the activities. Connecting with the community, especially younger students is extremely rewarding and provides new opportunities to discuss science and its importance in the applications and implications it has.