Education

Science Booth Experiments

During August and September, we collaborated with Westview Catalyst For Success (WVC4S), a STEM-focused club at our school, to host eight outreach events aimed at inspiring elementary students through hands-on science experiments. Our first joint experiment, Seashells in Vinegar, took place at Poway's Farmers Market, where we set up a stand and engaged over 50 attendees of various ages about the effects of ocean acidification, using seashells from our previous beach cleanup to demonstrate how vinegar dissolves their structures.

With the support of Westview Catalyst For Success, we extended our outreach to several local elementary schools, ensuring smooth event setups and effective engagement during their school hours. As a result, we hosted seven additional events in September at Deer Canyon Elementary and Adobe Bluffs Elementary, where we taught approximately 150 third to fifth graders essential concepts in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry through interactive experiments like Balancing Nails, Lava Lamps, and Perception Goggles. We explained key scientific principles, including the center of gravity, polarity, light refraction, and the structure of lipid molecules.

By connecting with diverse communities, we encouraged discussions about public values and the relevance of scientific principles in their lives. Everyone involved, including the students and volunteers, learned the importance of collaboration and communication in making science accessible and engaging. This experience has enriched our understanding of how to effectively involve more people in shaping the future of synthetic biology, reinforcing the idea that education is a powerful tool for community engagement and knowledge sharing.

We organized multiple outreach events at local elementary schools by collaborating with after-school ESS programs every other Friday. We prepared engaging materials and easy-to-follow procedures for fun science experiments, including the classic Strawberry DNA lab, the milk and food coloring experiment, creating lava lamps, and color-changing flowers. These hands-on activities not only sparked excitement about science but also helped the kids deepen their understanding of synthetic biology. Each experiment was accompanied by brief lessons to explain the scientific principles behind them, ensuring the children gained valuable knowledge while having fun.

Ethics Symposium

We participated in an ethics symposium where we shared our project with high school iGEM teams from Rancho Bernardo High School, Canyon Crest Academy, and Del Norte High School. We educated attendees about microplastics and their harmful effects on San Diego’s oceans, food chains, and everyday items like filtered water, as well as deep discussions to voice any ethical concerns. Our presentation also included details on our plasmid construction, Wet Lab progress, protein models from the Dry Lab, and our outreach initiatives. The participating teams were inspired by our community engagement efforts, allowing attendees to ask insightful questions and provide valuable feedback that deepened their understanding of our solution to combating microplastic pollution. This collaborative experience highlighted the importance of community involvement in shaping scientific initiatives, demonstrating how innovative educational tools can connect diverse groups to the science behind synthetic biology. Everyone left with a greater appreciation for the collective effort needed to address these challenges.

Microplastic Survey

To engage the community in our project, we surveyed 103 San Diego residents about their knowledge of microplastics and ocean pollution. Our survey included questions about the amount of plastic they observe at local beaches, their awareness of health risks associated with plastic pollution, their desire to address these issues, and their familiarity with terms related to synthetic biology and plastics. This approach not only educated participants on how synthetic biology can help tackle environmental challenges but also provided us with valuable insights into public awareness and attitudes. The feedback we gathered helped us shape our project, allowing us to better cater our initiatives to community concerns and prioritize areas that resonate most with residents. This engagement ensures that our work is relevant and impactful in addressing the pressing issue of plastic pollution in San Diego's oceans.