As a first-generation student coming from a community college + small liberal arts college, I had very little exposure to science careers in high school and early college. I am indebted to a handful of key mentors during college, who heavily influenced my career trajectory. I take great appreciation and gratitude in extending that mentorship and inclusivity to the next generation of scientists.
Science education & outreach at Kellogg Biological Station
I am currently a 2021-2022 Science Education and Outreach Fellow at KBS, where I work with the outreach team to integrate field-based experiences into K-12 classrooms. I was also a fellow during the 2020-2021 year where we focused on building meaningful resources for online learning due to Covid-19. As an outreach team, we provide a variety of programs to K-12 classrooms and other audiences through KBS. Here are some of the programs I currently work on:
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Exploring with Scientists - This program connects scientists with an organismal focus on K-12 classrooms to share career experiences and what it is like to be a scientist. My program is on herpetology (amphibians and reptiles). You can use asynchronous materials in your classroom yourself for free or invite me to present the program in person. I talk about careers in science, frogs, and what it is like to work in the field and lab to answer the question, "how do some frogs avoid extinction"?
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Biodiversity After-school Enrichment Program - We developed an after-school enrichment program for middle schools in Kalamazoo, MI focused on biodiversity careers and science for the 2020-2021 school year. This year we are launching the program through the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Each week covers an organismal theme, biodiversity principles, and meetings with scientists who have those jobs.
I am working on getting the program resources to this page, but reach out if you'd like me to send them or work with you on incorporating them into a classroom experience. Stay tuned for more projects!
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Banner photo: From an 'Expert is in' outreach event at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. Photo credit: James Di Loreto
