Scientific Community Outreach: Promoting Science to Students at the K‐12 Level and STEM Students in ASBMB UPR‐RP

Abstract

ObjectivesThe American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) Student Chapter at the University of Puerto Rico‐Rio Piedras Campus (UPR‐RP) is devoted on promoting science in communities inside and outside of our university. The primary goals of the chapter are: 1) to increase the interest in science of students in the K‐12 level and 2) to provide STEM students in the University with the tools and guidance to improve their academic and professional development.MethodsTo do this we offer outreach activities to students at the K‐ 12 level. These activities are comprised of experiments related to different fields of science such as biology, chemistry, physics, biotechnology and environmental science. The idea is to illustrate scientific concepts in an easy, and hands‐on way. Therefore, students can better understand these concepts, making biochemistry and molecular biology accessible to all. Aside of the outreach activities offered in schools, we also collaborate with other associations, such as the American Chemistry Society (ACS) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), in local activities at the ACS Chemistry Festival and AAAS Annual Meeting, respectively. Members of the ASBMB student chapter are also encouraged to participate in all outreach events so they can develop their oral presentation skills. For students in STEM fields, we offer a variety of workshops and seminars including: how to make personal statements and curriculum vitae, how to seek out research opportunities and internship opportunities, graduate and professional school panels, as well as journal clubs.Conclusion/Future DirectionThe collection of the activities and experiences that we offer to students in K‐12 level, STEM students and ASBMB members result in a successful promotion of science community at a variety of levels. Our hope is to develop an interest in science in students at the K‐12 level who are involved in our outreach activities and to facilitate the professional development of college students (both STEM students and ASBMB members).Support or Funding InformationASBMB Regional Meeting AwardThis abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.