K-12 Curriculum Integration using Engineering Engagement Kits from CELL-MET Museum Project

Last August, when faced with the challenges of COVID-19 restrictions and a Leadership Commitment and Plan for Action to increase our outreach to underserved communities and build clear pathways to opportunities within CELL-MET, Helen Fawcett, Director of Student Engagement and Research Experiences Programs for the NSF ERC CELL-MET, together with Workforce Development and Education (WDE) leaders brainstormed ideas. The outcome, a regular check in with former RET Participant Amanda Dillingham, Program Director of Science at East Boston High School, led to a conversation of how to integrate engineering concepts into the science curriculum. More ideas were exchanged with the concept of re-purposing the Engineering Engagement Kits (EEK!) for museum interaction to be integrated with the science curriculum when students learn about the heart. The results, WDE and Student Engagement are working together with teachers in Boston, MA, Miami, FL, and Detroit, MI to launch this pilot, with the intent of reviewing the materials, developing classroom lessons for elementary and middle schoolers, and having juniors and seniors in high school be the lead teachers with CELL-MET mentors as support members. The CELL-MET Mentors include faculty, staff, graduate students, former REU participants, all very excited to have an opportunity to share CELL-MET research with our communities.

So, what does an undertaking like this entail in COVID times? 300 individual kits being set up and shipped to various schools and mentors in our different areas. Brenda Hugot, Program Manager, Yvonne Cancino, Building Operations Manager, and three BU undergraduates, Claudia Rosado, Caroline Hollahan, and Megan Forsythe.

Brenda Hugot sorts inventory, resulting in assembly line of crayons, pulse oximeters, pipe cleaners, Happy/Sad Balls, and rubber bands and paperclips.

62 Make-It-Toy assembly line led to 300 bags ready for packaging

Megan, Carolyn, and Claudia’s packaging resulted in the first set of kits ready for pick up by East Boston High School.

High School mentor kits and their t-shirts were hand delivered and picked up by Amanda Dillingham from East Boston High School in preparation for our first virtual mentoring meeting on Friday, December 18th.

Only 272 more kits to package! In the New Year, we will be sending the remainder of kits out to our elementary and middle school students in Boston, MA, Miami, FL, and Detroit, MI. Stay tuned for more updates from the WDE and Student Engagement groups.

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