Local Students Benefit from Science Outreach Program

The Life and Earth Sciences Department hosted 36 high school students from Oakstone Academy in its microbiology lab to conduct experiments using bacteria and viruses, on February 26, 2009. Oakstone Academy is just one of many schools in the Westerville, Columbus and Central Ohio communities to engage in science through the expanding Science Outreach Program at Otterbein.

For years, Wendy Johnston, part-time faculty; Andrea Graytock, part-time faculty; and Tara Grove lab coordinator, all of the Department of Life and Earth Sciences, have conducted Science Outreach programs in local schools. Together, with Otterbein student and faculty volunteers, the trio combined their efforts to bring science to many more classrooms.

Blinding Students with Science
In 2008, Johnston and Grove began offering a Science Outreach Practicum course for Otterbein students as a way to apply the material they have learned and bringing the field of science to K-5 elementary students, Johnston said.

"In designing science demonstrations and experimental activities, Otterbein students are challenged to bring their expertise in their major to a broader audience," Johnston said. "This process engages students in a critical assessment of the most effective means of communicating difficult concepts to a diverse group."

This year, the program has expanded to include middle and high school students. Johnston said they are piloting a peer mentoring program where they train middle school students to assist with elementary outreach days.

"I have been working with the gifted education coordinator at Heritage Middle School to give their resource room sixth graders an opportunity to help teach the second and fourth grade outreach programs at Hanby Elementary School," Johnston said.

Measuring Success
Johnston said the goals of the Science Outreach Program are to provide significant learning experiences for both Otterbein students and the school children they work with and develop community partnerships.

Otterbein students design and implement an instructional unit addressing a science curricular standard of the Ohio State Education Guidelines and assess learning outcomes of their instructional unit.

"The course allows for Otterbein students to engage in educating their local community, while addressing the lack of hands-on science in the K-5 curriculum," she said. "The outreach events designed through this course will give children short exposure to the dynamic field of science enhancing science literacy."

Fostering Positive Partnerships
Johnston said the Science Outreach Program started in schools with which she, Graytock, and Grove had previous relationships, but soon expanded to public, private, suburban, and inner-city schools.

Another goal of the program is to supplement teachers' science curriculum by providing engaging experiences. "We work with the classroom teachers to determine which subjects they would like to address," Johnston said.

Johnston said typically the Science Outreach Program travels to local schools, but occasionally Otterbein is able to host the students on campus. "The experience of elementary through high school students in our Otterbein labs truly gives them a glimpse of how research is really done, shows them the environment where science takes place, and makes the experience feel more authentic for the students," she said.

Soliciting Support
"I feel strongly that this program has great benefit to both Otterbein science majors and to the children we reach, fostering a valuable relationship with our community," Johnston said. "It would be fantastic to offer our outreach events to more schools."

Johnston said she has been working with Melissa Gilbert, director of the Center for Community Engagement, to find an avenue of support for the Science Outreach Program through the Great Cities, Great Service grant. "We are still in this process and have not formalized that relationship yet," Johnston said.