Undergraduate Students are the Key to Community Science Outreach Partnerships

 

Michelle A. Harris, Sara J. Grange, Austin K. Feeney, & Scott K. Odorico

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2018, Volume 39

Abstract

We summarize a community science outreach partnership between undergraduate students and rural K-12 teachers and students. The Biocore Outreach Ambassadors (BOA) are students in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Biology Core Curriculum (Biocore) program who volunteer their time to enrich rural K-12 science curriculum by introducing science activities aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The scientific approach that inspires BOA outreach activities is a natural extension of the authentic inquiry process that students experience in our integrated 4-semester honors curriculum. BOA outreach activities include classroom visits, Family Science Nights, After School Science Club, Children’s Hospital visits, and a week-long Summer Science Camp. BOA students describe their volunteer experiences, community interactions and how they affect their own learning and attitudes toward science. The BOA advisor discusses the pedagogical and logistical support she provides to students, as well as the inherent mentorship challenges. Lessons learned and best practices are shared.

Keywords:  undergraduate research, undergraduate, science outreach, authentic inquiry process

University of Wisconsin, Madison (2017)