Science in the Sticks (SitS) aims to enrich public high school education in rural Maryland high schools through real, hands-on exposure to the scientific method, experimental design, and scientific discussion while exposing students to successful scientists of different backgrounds and experiences. Developed in early 2019 by postdoctoral fellows Eastman Lewis and Kacey Rajkovich, currently SitS has been implemented in biology classrooms at Winters Mills High School in Westminster, MD. Volunteer scientist from JHU and the University of Maryland, Baltimore inspire 10th-grade biology students to think critically and logically, apply the scientific method, identify their own strengths and weaknesses, and collaborate while doing real experiments. In addition to facilitating lab activities and discussions, volunteers facilitate the end-of-semester Lab Olympics and Mouse Genotyping Lab. Furthermore, volunteers have opportunities to give chalk talks about their research, to develop classroom lectures about scientific concepts and to help with the preparation of classroom lab exercises.
SitS needs volunteer scientists to help facilitate classroom lab activities and discussions and to attend informal discussions about career development with the students. Importantly, SitS needs as many volunteers as possible for the end-of-semester Lab Olympics and Mouse Genotyping Lab.
Contact:
■ Kacey Rajkovich (kacey.rajkovich@jhmi.edu)
■ Eastman Lewis (eastman.lewis@jhu.edu)
■ Helia Seifikar (hseifik1@jhmi.edu)