History
As a graduate student in the Department of Biology at Georgetown University, I learned of the power my presence could have for minority K-12th grade students. In 2010 while talking to students, parents, and teachers during a visit to Anne Beers Elementary School in Washington, DC, I decided to find a way to help inspire the next generation of students to become scientifically literate and interested in science. I was energized by working with students as they discovered facts about the world around them. Over the next five years, I have volunteered and instructed science lessons for events such as:
- Scholars in the Schools- U.S. Department of Education GEAR UP Program
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Senior Scientists and Engineers Volunteer Program
- Carnegie Academy for Science Education (CASE) First Light Saturday Science Program
- Operation Uplift Foundation: Inspire, Connect, and Educate Conference
- Northern Virginia STEM Alliance: STEM Career Festival
- Marine Discovery Program: Georgetown University partnered with Anne Beers Elementary School
I recognized a need to create and a niche for a science education program designed specifically for the young and curious minds of elementary school students. In 2015 The First Life Science (FiLS) Program came into existence. Here are a list of the events and activities that FiLS was involved in over the 2015-2016 school year
- Weekly STEM lessons at Bancroft Elementary School (Washington, DC)
- Presenter at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School STEM Night (Montgomery County, MD)
- Presenter at Gaithersburg Middle School "Journeys in Engineering, Technology, and Science (JETS)" Family Night (Montgomery County, MD)
- Presenter at Turning the Page Night at the Koshland Museum with Kramer and Hart Middle Schools (Washington, DC)
- Presenter at The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington: STEAM Ambassador Visit (Washington, DC)
- Volunteer at the DC STEM Fair (Washington, DC)
- Judge at the Elementary DC STEM Fair (Washington, DC)