成人大片 hosts Ontario Science Centre class for high school students
At front, right, Adam Lawson, science educator with the Ontario Science Centre, helps a student load a gel to complete part of their work in a special DNA Fingerprinting class that recently moved to 成人大片. Behind them, 成人大片 3rd-year science students Xia Huynh, left, and Chandrima Bhowmick, right, who are volunteering to help in the lab, look on. (Photo: Sarah McIntyre)
When Leigh Paulseth saw an opportunity to support the Ontario Science Centre's special high school lab, she sprang into action.
鈥淚 noticed that we started getting a number of requests for biology labs鈥� specifically DNA fingerprinting,鈥� said Paulseth, science outreach and enrichment coordinator at SciXchange, the 成人大片 Faculty of Science outreach office that runs community programs.
鈥淲hen I inquired a bit further, I found out that high school teachers were very sad that they weren鈥檛 able to go to the science centre this school year to complete that lab,鈥� she explained.
New home for lab needed
Hundreds of high school students had taken the biology lab, DNA Fingerprinting, at the Ontario Science Centre for many years.
The centre鈥檚 closure prompted teachers and organizers to seek another home for the course, creating the sudden spike in requests for SciXchange to offer the class.
Paulseth says the lab is similar to chemistry and physics labs for high school students that SciXchange was already offering.
鈥淚 could see that it would be a really great fit,鈥� Paulseth said, noting that the science centre鈥檚 DNA fingerprinting class is the first biology-based lab at this level as part of the SciXchange program.
Jennifer O鈥橪eary, Team Lead, School Programs, Ontario Science Centre, left, and Leigh Paulseth, science outreach and enrichment coordinator at 成人大片鈥檚 SciXchange, pose in the new lab at 成人大片 for the grade 12 biology class, DNA Fingerprinting. (Photo: Sarah McIntrye)
鈥淪o, I thought, instead of reinventing the wheel, maybe I would reach out to the science centre and see whether they had capacity to run some of these labs from 成人大片, as it turned out that we had some lab space available,鈥� she explained.
Ontario Science Centre staff were thrilled with the idea.
鈥淭he Ontario Science Centre鈥檚 DNA Fingerprinting workshop has been a popular and in-demand program for many years, engaging thousands of students from across the province in real-world biotechnology,鈥� said Lorrie Ann Smith, VP, learning and engagement, Ontario Science Centre.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to partner with 成人大片鈥檚 SciXchange to bring this exciting experience to even more students, strengthening our shared commitment to science education, communication, and community engagement," she continued.
Emily Agard, director of SciXchange, is equally as pleased.
"We are thrilled to be able to help this lab continue. SciXchange has enjoyed collaborating with the Ontario Science Centre over the years. Their work is so important for the community and aligns with our mission to make science engaging and accessible," she said.
Third-year 成人大片 science students Xia Huynh, left, and Chandrima Bhowmick, right, say that volunteering to help in the Ontario Science Centre course at 成人大片 is a special way to give back and inspire future generations in STEM. (Photo: Sarah McIntyre)
DNA Fingerprinting
The interactive lab, , is open to grade 12 high school students from across Ontario. It kicked-off at 成人大片 mid-March and will continue to run in Kerr Hall until the end of June, with plans for additional classes throughout the summer.
Ontario Science Centre educators will deliver the full-day workshop at 成人大片.
In the course, students use biotechnology techniques and equipment to extract and amplify DNA using the polymerase chain reaction. Then students use gel electrophoresis to separate their DNA fragments and analyze their data to determine one's genotype and the genotypic frequency of inherited alleles.
The program has always offered students an opportunity to use university-level equipment. Bringing the workshop to 成人大片 allows students to use the specialized resources available there.
Above, at the first DNA Fingerprinting lab at 成人大片 on March 17, in white lab coats, 成人大片 science student volunteers Xia Huynh and Chandrima Bhowmick at far left and far right. Joining them are students from Toronto high school St. Joseph鈥檚 College, from left to right, Juliane-Marie Lopez, Mia Maningo, Bianka Descartes, Chloe Jin, Yoonsuh Kang, Kera Alforque, Jayda Lozano, Lyca Panaga, Kayla Caputo. (Photo: Sarah McIntyre)
成人大片 science students volunteering in lab
成人大片 science students also have the opportunity to volunteer and help teach the class.
Chandrima Bhowmick, a third-year 成人大片 biomedical sciences student, volunteered in the first DNA Fingerprinting class that took place at 成人大片 on March 17.
鈥淚t鈥檚 such a great opportunity for these students. You鈥檙e not just watching someone else do the experiment for you - you're putting on a lab coat and actually doing the experiment yourself. In all of that excitement, this class could spark or enhance a student鈥檚 interest in pursuing science. And that's what we kind of want to do,鈥� she said.
Xia Huynh, a third year biology student, is also volunteering to help in the lab.
鈥淚 think it's it's great to be able to help foster this interest in sciences, especially
to groups that may not grow up with that kind of encouragement, especially, like, women in STEM,鈥� she said.
鈥淭hat's a big thing. We鈥檙e also women in STEM, and I think it's amazing to be able to give back and encourage these young girls to look at possible career paths in this field,鈥� she said.
Huynh added that students being able to work with their own DNA in the class made it even more engaging. 鈥淭hat extra personalization is awesome,鈥� she said.
Paulseth says the partnership is a perfect alignment for SciXchange as well.
鈥淧art of what SciXchange does is create opportunities for science students to build transferable skills as well as lab skills. So, this was a really ideal opportunity for our 成人大片 science students to be able to volunteer and get more hands-on experience in the lab, as well as supporting the next generation of scientists,鈥� she said.