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<center><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2017/f/fe/Public_engagement_cca.png" width="30%"></center> | <center><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2017/f/fe/Public_engagement_cca.png" width="30%"></center> | ||
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− | <br><h2 style="font-size:79px"> | + | <br><h2 style="font-size:79px">Public Engagement and Education</h2> |
<h2>iGEM Summer Camp</h2> | <h2>iGEM Summer Camp</h2> | ||
<h6>During the course of one week, our outreach team simultaneously held two summer camps based on the subjects of genetics & environmental sciences and physics. With the goal of stimulating a spark for the love of all things related to science and thereby, nurturing a love for science in future young scientists ranging from elementary to middle school students, we guided the students on concepts pertinent to everyday professional and advanced lab work, reinforced with hands-on activities, experiments, and projects. Some of these experimental activities further reinforced plant-based curriculum in the form of photosynthesis and cellular respiration labs and introduced the students to environmental concerns such as ocean acidification and global warming. The concept of ocean acidification was further expounded upon via the pH lab, where we observed the detrimental effects of even a subtle change in pH. Furthermore, the genetics camp taught students fundamental biotechnology techniques, such as micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, serial dilution, growing bacteria on petri dishes, and PCR. In the physics camp we delved into major ideas behind subjects such as energy, forces, light, kinetics, and heat. These concepts were applied in the Egg Drop Project, which required the physics students to build a contraption out of solely toothpicks and hot glue and therefore, test it by dropping it with an egg inside to see if the egg broke or now. On the last day, a fun highlight, we made slime and paper centrifuges to show students the wide expanse of applications fostered by science. By creating an environment catered to furthering interest in the sciences, we were able to increase publicity for our team, project, and the field of synthetic biology. Students of the camp were also exposed to advanced biotechnology techniques, an opportunity unavailable at their own schools. We received a myriad of positive feedback and many even expressed interest in another summer camp and in joining the iGEM team as high schooler! This camp, most importantly, served as not only the initiative, but also as the catalyst, for young student’s interest in synthetic biology, and allowed us to share our project and groundbreaking ideas with people not merely inside a laboratory environment, but also with other scientists interested in this burgeoning field. </h6> <br> | <h6>During the course of one week, our outreach team simultaneously held two summer camps based on the subjects of genetics & environmental sciences and physics. With the goal of stimulating a spark for the love of all things related to science and thereby, nurturing a love for science in future young scientists ranging from elementary to middle school students, we guided the students on concepts pertinent to everyday professional and advanced lab work, reinforced with hands-on activities, experiments, and projects. Some of these experimental activities further reinforced plant-based curriculum in the form of photosynthesis and cellular respiration labs and introduced the students to environmental concerns such as ocean acidification and global warming. The concept of ocean acidification was further expounded upon via the pH lab, where we observed the detrimental effects of even a subtle change in pH. Furthermore, the genetics camp taught students fundamental biotechnology techniques, such as micropipetting, gel electrophoresis, serial dilution, growing bacteria on petri dishes, and PCR. In the physics camp we delved into major ideas behind subjects such as energy, forces, light, kinetics, and heat. These concepts were applied in the Egg Drop Project, which required the physics students to build a contraption out of solely toothpicks and hot glue and therefore, test it by dropping it with an egg inside to see if the egg broke or now. On the last day, a fun highlight, we made slime and paper centrifuges to show students the wide expanse of applications fostered by science. By creating an environment catered to furthering interest in the sciences, we were able to increase publicity for our team, project, and the field of synthetic biology. Students of the camp were also exposed to advanced biotechnology techniques, an opportunity unavailable at their own schools. We received a myriad of positive feedback and many even expressed interest in another summer camp and in joining the iGEM team as high schooler! This camp, most importantly, served as not only the initiative, but also as the catalyst, for young student’s interest in synthetic biology, and allowed us to share our project and groundbreaking ideas with people not merely inside a laboratory environment, but also with other scientists interested in this burgeoning field. </h6> <br> |
Revision as of 03:19, 2 November 2017