M3D Students Build Partnership with Denny International Middle School to Promote STEM

February 09, 2021 in Diversity and Equity, Education

This post was written by Arianna Gómez, Doctoral Candidate with the M3D PhD Program and member of the DLMP Diversity and Equity Committee

In spring 2020, the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black lives ignited a movement. It was apparent that racial ideologies continue to exist in society and academia. As the next generation of scientists, doctoral students in the Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease (M3D) PhD Program searched for tangible actions to fight racial inequalities in science.

Over the summer, a group of M3D students built a partnership with Denny International Middle School to create a "Meet a Scientist"-style after school program. The goal is to show that STEM can be for everyone and that our paths into science aren't all the same. M3D students participated in a training that taught them how to present their science story and introduced awareness of our implicit biases that could inhibit our ability to connect with students from various backgrounds.

In fall 2020, M3D students shared their "journey into science" with 6th-8th graders and flexed the science communication skills developed through the curated training session. Virtual visits presented some challenges, but our M3D volunteers enjoyed having the opportunity to speak with local students and answer their science questions!

The program's student leaders look forward to offering volunteer opportunities to other UW graduate programs and creating partnerships with other K-12 schools, community colleges, and Minority-serving institutions in Seattle and Washington.

Thank you to our student volunteers and leaders for making this possible!

Student volunteers: Rachel Cunningham, Madeleine Hart, Louisa Helms, Michael Kiflezghi, Nandita Kumar, Miranda Lahman, Megan Maerz, Sophie Sichel, and Sophie Tahiri

Student leaders: Rebecca Bornstein Zieve, Madeleine Hart, Louisa Helms, Nandita Kumar, Miranda Lahman, Megan Maerz, Sophie Sichel, Sophie Tahiri, led by Arianna Gómez

Learn more about the Molecular Medicine and Mechanisms of Disease (M3D) PhD Program and the Diversity and Equity Committee