Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2014 - (Page 36)

The Inner Scientist Reaches Out by Amol Punjabi W hen I was in eighth grade, my best friend's parents entered him in a lottery for admission to a STEM-based charter high school. There had been a lot of political talk about a STEM education deficit at the time, but it wasn't until I looked up the facts that I understood why. While people in STEM-related jobs earn 26 percent more than those in non-STEM professions, between now and 2018, 2.4 million jobs are expected to go unfilled because of a lack of qualified applicants (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration). I also learned that there is a yawning gap for gender and ethnic minorities in STEM fields: According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, 73 percent of U.S. scientists are male; 70 percent are Caucasian. Science World Both of my parents occupy STEM professions, so I had the opportunity to be immersed in science early on. Over the years, I've pursued my passion for materials science and biochemistry through scientific research at home, in school, and in the lab. When we were younger, my brother, Rahi, and I loved to do fun science activities with others and teach them along the way. We even created Science World, a corner of the basement where we organized supplies for these activities so they would be ready for the next "guest"-usually an unsuspecting family friend or member of our Cub Scout troop. Teaching others a subject we love may have begun as a now-embarrassing, attention-seeking pastime, but after tutoring students in elementary and middle school, it became much more. Helping someone understand a scientific concept fulfills me like no other form of service. After learning about the need for qualified STEM professionals and the low number of minorities in STEM fields, Rahi and I decided to revive Science World in a more meaningful way. At our local Boys and Girls Club, we created a STEM enrichment program for students in grades three through five aimed at bridging the gap between under- 36 imagine Amol demonstrates the thickening of a polymer slime at the Tri-Town STEM Expo. served minority students and science. We called it Science for Shooting STARs (Science, Technology, Applied Research). We wrote our own teaching slideshow with the goal of making concepts in cell biology easy for a third grader to understand. We limited "chalk talk" to 10 minutes to allow the 20 students to do hands-on experiments, such as extracting DNA from strawberries and making an edible cell model. We were delighted when the students not only understood the concepts, but were interested in our discussion of how scientists are manipulating DNA in the fight against cancer. It became my goal to help them grow up to become pioneering scientists. The Value of Questioning Despite late-night PowerPoint rehearsals and overnight Amazon orders of hydrogen peroxide and citric acid, Rahi and I gladly returned 10 times that year to engage the students with activities that included synthesizing polymer slimes, recrystallizing minerals, and germinating kidney beans. Each week when we walked in the door, the students would eagerly form a line to climb the two flights of stairs to the "science room." As they learned to apply their knowledge to solving the puzzles behind experiments, I became a better teacher. I learned to ask questions instead of providing answers. When I demonstrated a burning dollar during a thermodynamics lesson, rather than explaining that the trick was coating the bill with alcohol, I guided the students with questions: "If the dollar bill didn't burn, what did?" "What things do you know from the kitchen that burn and are liquid?" I was amazed at their energy as they searched for the answer. I realized that this was real learning. Nov/Dec 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2014

Big Picture
In My Own Words
A Summer in Xian
The Bogs in Ireland
As Indian as Any
Crossing Cultures, Past and Present
Exploring the World from Home
Sowing Seeds of Peace
Around the World with the National Geographic Bee
Selected Opportunities and Resources
A Student of the Martial Arts
The Inner Scientist Reaches Out
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - November/December 2014