The Light Microscopy (LM) outreach project is sponsored by Echo Labs and Chroma, supported by the Education Committee, and efforts are led by Education Committee member Sharyn Endow, PhD.
The Light Microscopy (LM) outreach by the Biophysical Society’s Education Committee started during the inaugural Biophysics Week in March 2016 in response to a gift of 20 small wooden microscopes from Echo Labs that was to be used with the BASICS lesson plans which are appropriate for K-6, middle and high school students. The first LM outreach event was led by BPS members in inner city schools in Philadelphia and Baltimore/Washington DC, using the BASICS lesson plan written for the microscopes. It was important to engage and educate the potential next generation of biophysicists.
With a goal to enhance science education globally, especially in less advantaged regions, providing these low cost instruments can help introduce students to biophysical methods. With a second gift of 500 wooden microscopes from Echo Labs and Chroma Technology Corp in June 2016, the Education Committee has been able to expand the BPS LM outreach.
LM Outreach Efforts
The committee has expanded this effort through various events:
BPS member Yuly Sanchez at the National University of Colombia conducted a workshop on Sept 19-24, 2016 in Tumaco, CO involving 120 high school girls and 80 minority students, including Afro-Colombian and older students. During the workshop, the students built the wooden microscopes and examined specimens, and compared the microscopes to a conventional light microscope. Yuly found that assembling the wooden microscopes was a useful experiment that encouraged young girls and older students to participate in science. This was especially promising in Colombia, where there are few women in science and little effort to increase women in STEM fields.
Efforts have been made to involve BPS members in outreach with the wooden microscopes through an article in the March-April 2017 BPS Newsletter. This resulted in contact by BPS member Andreea Trache at Texas A&M University. She has run an outreach program for 10 years, the Saturday Morning Biophysics Program, for middle school and high school girls on physical and life science research topics; teachers are also encouraged to attend. The BPS sent Andreea 20 microscopes and she used them in her program in Fall 2017. The Fall 2017 program involved 58 girls in grades 6-12, around half minority students – Hispanic, African American – from rural TX areas. They assembled the microscopes, took images with cell phones, and compared the images to those from a conventional light microscope. This was voted one of the two most-liked activities during their 3-week program. Andreea used the microscopes again in her program this Fall and will continue to do so next year.
Efforts were also made by Duke undergraduate student Umika Paul who is from Dr. Sharyn Endow’s lab, BPS member and Education Committee member. Dr. Endow taught Umika how to assemble the microscopes and went through the lesson plan and PPT slides (now at the BPS web site with the lesson plans). Umika took three wooden microscopes to her home district in Bangalore, India where she organized and led three sessions in two state run, under-resourced government schools, Hoodi School (40 students, aged 10-12) and Hoodi College (25 students, aged 13-15). This was very successful – the students enjoyed learning about the microscopes and building them, and the science teachers were interested in expanding the sessions to other government schools and classes. Umika taught the teachers how to build and use the microscopes with the BPS lesson plan and PPT, and gave the microscopes to the teachers for future use. She also met with a founder of the organization, Whitefield Rising, which is working to improve teaching in government schools, and taught her how to assemble the microscopes, discussed the layout of the sessions, and gave her information and instructions needed to conduct the sessions. Umika felt that 1-2 microscopes per session were sufficient for the students to practice assembly of the microscopes and view specimens, and then could be given to the school for future use. The Whitefield Rising members held six sessions for students aged 10-15 (see photo) during Fall 2018 and are planning further sessions this year to reach all the government schools in the Whitefield district of Bangalore.
Future LM Outreach
International outreach will remain as Bangalore, India and Colombia for now to achieve maximal impact for this outreach project. Dr. Endow will continue to work with BPS to find additional ways to make the lesson known to the public and distribute the microscopes. To find the BASICS LM lesson plan, please visit https://www.biophysics.org/biophysics-basics#/