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From Classroom To Farm-To-Fork: How Bellevue University Alums Tony and Amber Ellsworth are Building a Thriving Business
Bellevue University alumni Tony and Amber Ellsworth transformed a small pandemic-era farm store into Ellsworth Crossing, a thriving farm-to-fork marketplace that connects customers with products from more than 100 local farmers and producers.While balancing military service, demanding careers, family responsibilities and entrepreneurship, both T...
Hospital School Program opens new classroom at Monroe Carell
The K-12 Hospital School Program recently opened its new classroom located on the 14th floor of Monroe Carell.
Klingler College of Arts and Sciences applied learning fair, Nov. 10
The Klingler College of Arts and Sciences will host an Applied Learning Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Sensenbrenner Hall Eisenberg Reading Room. This event will showcase the many paths students can take to engage in applied or experiential learning, which invites students to enrich their classroom knowledge…
As Michigan students struggle with literacy, teachers head back to school for science of reading training
Only 38% of third graders scored proficient on the state’s reading exam.
Daviess County students learn from mobile science center
DAVIESS COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) — Daviess County students are getting hands-on science experience without leaving the classroom. A mobile science center is visiting southern oaks elementary school this wee...
Iowa governor candidates address political agendas in schools
Two Polk County advocacy groups have the same concern: political ideology in the classroom. Moms for Liberty and Annie’s Foundation stand on opposing sides of the debate over what should be allowed in schools and both organizations said they believe the situation has worsened over the years. Jennifer Turner, mom and chair for Polk County’s...
Michigan Teachers Head Back to School for Science of Reading Training
In 2010, Karlee Little attended Central Michigan University to learn how to teach elementary school. Now a veteran teacher, she’s back in the classroom as a student. Little, like so many Michigan teac...
Science Begins With Wonder and Sometimes With a Salamander.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by the Don & Beth Straus Center at Birch Bay Village. BAR HARBOR—The children had come to see the axolotls, those odd little salamanders with pink frills around their heads and the remarkable ability to grow back what they lose. But also there were stickers. There were crafts. There was the kind of excitement that makes a roomful of kindergarteners forget, for a little while, that sitting still is ever a requirement. And then there were the animals themselves, alive in their clear cases at the MDI Biological Laboratory, where 12 children from Pemetic Elementary School got to meet the creatures they had been learning about in class. “Do you love them?” their teacher, Carol Null, asked. The answer came back in a chorus. “I do!” “I do!” “I do too,” Null said, smiling. “I love them even more now.” That was the thing about a day at the lab. Science was no longer a picture in a book, or a word on a classroom wall. It had a face, a tail, and a set of extraordinary powers. And for a child, sometimes that is where wonder begins. Sometimes learning about science is about stickers. Sometimes it’s about bright pink feathers and getting super excited about that glow in the dark. Sometimes learning about science is joy—pure and simple joy. That’s how it was October 28 at the MDI Bio Lab as Miss Hannah (known in the lab as Dr. Hannah Lust, director of STEM, undergraduate and graduate Training), other scientists, graduate students, and MDI Bio Lab staff, hosted 12 students from Carol Null’s Pemetic Elementary School’s kindergarten class. The 2.5-hour program created by Dr. Lust focused on axolotls, a species of mole salamanders, a superhero in the animal world: a superhero with some scientific-study worthy superpowers. One of those superpowers come from the axolotls’ ability to regenerate body parts, including entire limbs. But also, they’re cute. This fall, before coming to the internationally renowned lab nestled in Salsbury Cove, Null has been integrating axolotls into her class. They’ve been part of the kids’ vocabulary and their storytelling. They’ve been part of science. They’ve been part of the children’s learning about facts vs opinions. The Pemetic Elementary kindergarten students learn about invasive species and the impact on the ecology and one student related it to their dad, who lobsters, and his worries about green craps, an invasive species in Maine. “Are they bigger or smaller than you thought they’d be?” the children are asked after the scientists show them multiple see-through cases of axolotls, lined up on a table that they’re told not to jiggle. “Bigger!” “I think they’re bigger.” “Smaller!” The bio lab opening its doors to the collaborations and to students and families is a norm, but this is the first program of this kind. It’s meant to encourage kindergarten students about axolotls. But when the students come to the bio lab something else happens too—something beyond Null’s child-focused teaching—the students see science—and the regenerating creatures in real life. They do crafts. They speak with them. They meet people who know all about them: scientists and educators who talk to the kids like they’re equals. That’s a superhero power, too. Null speaks about meeting the kids where they’re at in her classroom, letting their interest and hearts lead her in their learning. That requires recognition of interests, of individuality, of empathy. Some would argue that’s a super power, too, but it’s also in those 12 students as they listen to the storybook, encounter those live axolotls, and hear about how axolotls might help advance society’s understanding of human health. As Eddie Seckeler (comparative animal models, CORE facility manager), carefully puts the axolotls on a cart and rolls them away, some of the children stop what they’re doing to watch. “Bye axolotls.” “Bye!” “Bye!” The axolotls are not just images in a book, Hello, I’m an axolotl by Hayley and John Rocco; they are real and cool. MDI Biological Laboratory scientists Dr. Prayag Murawala and Dr. James Godwin who both feature in the Roccos’ book. The kindergarteners get to meet them in real life, off the page, in the world, doing science. They learn from them, laugh with them. “The visit is about more than meeting an unusual animal. By introducing children to scientists working in their own community, the experience helps make science tangible and accessible. Students can see that science is not just something they read about in books or learn about at school. It is something real people do every day by asking questions, making observations and working to understand how the world works,” explains MDI Biological Laboratory Director of Communications Rebecca Woods. While the students make axolotl-related crafts around tables, graduate students and staff help out. Ryan holds up his construction paper setting and axolotl to show Omar Maged, a graduate student. “Do you like it?” Ryan asks, eyes wide, turning from his axolotl to look up at Omar. Omar studies the construction paper for a moment, smiles and says definitively, each word important. “It is beautiful.” Null says that she’s so thankful for all the “amazing” community partners that her school and her students get to interact with as they learn and grow and live, but emphasized how the MDI Bio Lab goes out of its way to create something meaningful, something that allows her young students to build their own agency, to know that they can be impactful in their community, to show them how how things they learn about in text is connected to themselves and their community. Woods explains, “Axolotls have an extraordinary ability to regenerate, or regrow, certain body parts, including limbs. Scientists study these animals to understand how regeneration works and what their biology might teach us about tissue repair and healing in humans.” The children enter the space for “a memorable introduction to a big scientific question,” Woods said. “How can some animals regrow body parts? The encounter encourages children to look closely, wonder about what they see and begin to understand how scientists use observations and experiments to investigate questions.” “For the students, the visit is an opportunity to explore a fascinating animal and meet scientists in their own community,” Woods explains. “For MDI Biological Laboratory, it is a chance to share the excitement of research, nurture curiosity, and help young learners discover that science begins with asking questions.“ At the beginning of the school year, Pemetic kindergarteners didn’t know what the axolotl was—at least not exactly—now they know all about the axolotl’s life cycle. “It’s different than a butterfly,” one student told Mrs. Null. It is. The change and knowledge might seem small**,** but it offers a glimpse of what happens when a subject moves beyond the pages of a book and into a child’s world. The children have been learning about butterflies at the Charlotte Rhoades Park and Butterfly Garden. At both the garden and the MDI Bio Lab, the children see the animals, meet the scientists who study them and at the lab encounter a question that researchers are still working to answer: how can some creatures regenerate body parts, and what might that teach us about healing in humans? They leave with gift bags, paper-plate salamanders, new things to wonder about and a connection between the science they learn in school and the work happening in their own community. The axolotls may be remarkable for their ability to grow back what they have lost. For these young students, the day offers something different: a chance to discover how much there is to ask, observe, and imagine. When Null’s students had time to use chalk and draw whatever they want, in the beginning of the year, they drew rainbows. Now? They’re using that chalk and choosing to draw axolotls instead. About MDI Bio Laboratory For more than 125 years, MDI Bio Lab has been a center for training and research in comparative biology. In the last two decades its biomedical research has focused on aging, regeneration, and environmental toxins. The Laboratory houses 11 research groups staffed by an international team of world-class scientists and graduate students. It also leads a statewide network of colleges, universities and research institutions that collaborate to provide training, research experiences and financial support to help young Mainers play a bigger role in today’s biomedical revolution. Located on Maine’s rugged coast, the Laboratory’s 100+ acre campus houses research facilities, cottages and dorms that house visiting scientists and students. It is also home to MDI Bioscience, a subsidiary working to design innovative techniques to speed the drug discovery process. The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art. LINKS TO LEARN MORE NIH INBRE MDI BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Pemetic Elementary School Hello, I’m an Axolotl Photos: Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
Danish students more likely to gamble for entertainment following classroom presentations
A survey of almost 2,000 students found greater awareness of gambling mechanics after presentations by the Danish Gambling Authority.
Neil Garg named recipient of the 2026 Science and Education Pioneer Award
Distinguished Professor Neil Garg has been named the recipient of the UCLA College, Division of Physical Sciences’ 2026 Science and Education Pioneer Award for his contributions to science and education. He will be honored at Exploring Your Universe, UCLA’s free science festival, on Sunday, Nov. 8, in the Court of Sciences. The ceremony and Garg’s remarks will take place at noon in Young Hall CS50, and will be livestreamed here. He will also give a family-friendly lecture, “Organic Chemistry in the Movies”, at 3 pm in Young Hall CS76. The Pioneer Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to science and inspired public engagement with science education, particularly among young people. Previous award recipients include astronaut and UCLA alumna Dr. Anna Lee Fisher (2017), mathematician and UCLA alumna Danica McKellar (2018), actress, author and neuroscientist Dr. Mayim Bialik (2019), Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist Andrea Ghez (2020) and UCLA mathematics professor and Fields Medalist Terence Tao (2025). Garg is the Distinguished Kenneth N. Trueblood Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCLA. He received his B.S. from New York University and Ph.D. from Caltech, and completed postdoctoral studies at UC Irvine before joining the UCLA faculty in 2007. Garg is an internationally recognized organic chemist whose research focuses on developing new chemical reactions, often challenging long-standing rules in chemistry. He has published more than 200 scientific papers. Beyond his research accomplishments and award-winning classroom teaching, Garg is passionate about making chemistry accessible and engaging for students and the broader public. He has developed innovative websites, apps, and games used in more than 175 countries, authored The Organic Coloring Book series, and created outreach programs that introduce children to chemistry, including his popular Chem Kids camp. His honors include the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Horizon Prizes for both research and education, the Cherry Award for Great Teaching, the California Professor of the Year Award, and the AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science. In 2026, he received the Royal Society of Chemistry’s prestigious Centenary Prize.
UF Geologist brings Earth Science to life for Millhopper Montessori 4th-graders
Fourth-grade students at Millhopper Montessori School had the opportunity to learn from a University of Florida scientist during a special classroom visit from Dr. Andrew Zimmerman of the UF Department of Geological Sciences.
679 UT Health Sciences Students Meet Their Future ‘Teammates’ at IPE Day
Hundreds of first-year students from all six colleges of UT Health Sciences swapped classroom seats for mixed teams on Doc’s Field last week.
Bradley Central Breaks Ground on Science Wing
Bradley Central High School broke ground on a new 12-classroom science wing designed to expand science education and serve as a FEMA storm shelter.
Let's Talk: Youth — A champion, a colorful legacy and science that glows
Young people across East Tennessee are finding opportunities to shine, whether through athletic competition, scouting or scientific discovery. This week, we’re celebrating a Bearden Middle School champion, a special Girl Scout experience inspired by Dolly Parton and a classroom challenge that could take fifth graders to Dollywood. Bearden Middle School student wins Pan American championship […]
Coalinga College partnership creates direct pathway from classroom to healthcare careers
Students at Coalinga College are getting hands-on healthcare training and a direct connection to potential employers thanks to a partnership.
Healthy Water, Healthy Fish, Healthy Classrooms
Clackamas Water Environment Services (WES) works to keep water clean for people, wildlife, and the environment. Teaching students how to protect their local watersheds is an important part of that work.
NASA Leaders Visit Morehead State to Highlight Space Science Excellence
Morehead State University's growing impact in space science and aerospace education drew national attention as university leaders welcomed top NASA officials and federal policymakers to campus. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers visited Morehead State on Monday, Oct. 26, to highlight the University's Space Science Center, its partnership with NASA and its contributions to preparing the next generation of scientists, engineers and space professionals. For more than two decades, Morehead State has built a nationally recognized space science program that combines classroom learning with hands-on participation in real-world aerospace projects. MSU has developed significant capabilities in satellite tracking, mission operations and space systems engineering through its work with NASA and commercial aerospace partners. Learn about Space Systems Engineering at MSU by contacting Space Science Center Executive Director Dr. Ben Malphrus at b.malphrus@moreheadstate.edu or calling 606-783-2212.
High school science teacher partners with WSU Tri-Cities researchers to explore bioplastics
A high school science teacher and WSU Tri-Cities alumna spent the summer working with university researchers to explore how agricultural waste can be turned into bioplastics, gaining hands-on experience to bring back to her classroom.
Wallace’s Health Sciences Simulation Center earns full accreditation
Instructors manage scenarios from behind the scenes while students apply classroom learning in a controlled setting.
Wallace’s Health Sciences Simulation Center earns full accreditation
Instructors manage scenarios from behind the scenes while students apply classroom learning in a controlled setting.
Wallace’s Health Sciences Simulation Center earns full accreditation
Instructors manage scenarios from behind the scenes while students apply classroom learning in a controlled setting.
Wallace’s Health Sciences Simulation Center earns full accreditation
Instructors manage scenarios from behind the scenes while students apply classroom learning in a controlled setting.
Wallace’s Health Sciences Simulation Center earns full accreditation
Instructors manage scenarios from behind the scenes while students apply classroom learning in a controlled setting.
Show-Me-State Politics: School districts oppose Missouri's new grading system; state auditor's race
KY3's Tyler Wayne and Missouri Capitol Bureau Chief Hannah Falcon look at this week in Show-Me-State politics.
Show-Me-State Politics: School districts oppose Missouri's new grading system; state auditor's race
KY3's Tyler Wayne and Missouri Capitol Bureau Chief Hannah Falcon look at this week in Show-Me-State politics.
Show-Me-State Politics: School districts oppose Missouri's new grading system; state auditor's race
KY3's Tyler Wayne and Missouri Capitol Bureau Chief Hannah Falcon look at this week in Show-Me-State politics.
$50K in scholarships aims to bring hands-on science education to more Detroit students
A $50,000 scholarship program is helping bring hands-on science education to Detroit students through field trips and classroom activities.
Don’t Abolish Business Schools. Transform Your Classroom.
Marquis is right that business schools are broken in important ways, but the fix starts with what faculty do in their own classrooms, not with waiting for institutions to change.
Sasin and Thai Airways Partner to Bridge Business Education and Real-World Experience
Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University, and Thai Airways International Public Company Limited have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote cooperation in education and student development, connecting classroom knowledge with practical experience in the business sector.
Hays FFA packs soil science boxes for classrooms nationwide
Hays High School FFA students pose for a picture with the completed Nutrients for Life Fer
Mobile science lab
Billy Roden, left, Seattle Children’s Mobile Science Program manager, takes answers to a question he posed to Rasa Conklin’s fifth-grade science class on Wednesday inside the mobile science classroom at Salish Coast Elementary School in Port Townsend. Dr. Noelle Machnick, rear, in lab coat, helped moderate the class.
Opinion: Abbott’s family tree is growing. Will its newest branch thrive like AbbVie?
The classroom lesson of addition by subtraction is about to be tested again.
When Should AI Be Used in the Classroom? Learning Science Offers a Guide -- THE Journal
District and state policies run the gamut from embracing to banning AI. This raises a key question: When does AI accelerate student learning and when does it interfere?
Computer science student takes engineering skills to Neuralink
A challenging classroom project helped Mateo McKee land an internship developing software that supports the manufacturing and testing of Neuralink’s brain implants.
NMSU professors collaborate on $1.2 million NASA grant
American third grade classrooms are filled with natural-born scientists – children obsessed with asking why and treating the world as an open-ended laboratory. But as they cross the threshold into...
A minute in the room: Scarlett Middle School 6th grade science
Editor’s note: Have you ever wished you could quietly peek into a classroom—not for a special event, but simply to see what an ordinary day looks like? That’s the idea behind our new feature, “A […]
Nine State Board of Education seats are on the ballot this fall, including 4 in the Greater Houston Area
The state board of education is one of the most influential bodies shaping education across the state. The board sets curriculum and chooses instructional materials for all public school classrooms and in recent years has been scrutinized for its controversial choices.
Beyond the textbook: Bringing real science into the classroom
Forget baking soda volcanoes! Some high school students are getting hands-on experience with real genomic research. We talk with educators about how partnerships with working scientists are bringing cutting-edge science into the classroom.
The Knox Regional Health Science Education Center over the years
Here's photos that The Oak Ridger has run over the years from Roane State Community College of the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center.
The Knox Regional Health Science Education Center over the years
Here's photos that The Oak Ridger has run over the years from Roane State Community College of the Knox Regional Health Science Education Center.
Ben Logan Environmental Science Club celebrates 10 years of discovery
From planting trees and creating wildlife habitats to exploring local ecosystems, Benjamin Logan students are discovering that environmental science isn’t just something they study in a classroom. It’s something they can experience, investigate, and influence right in their own community. The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club kicked off its 10th year with a visit to Jolly Acres, where 28 student members pressed fresh apple cider, painted pumpkins, and explored a...
‘The little thieves and the bigger thieves’
During the 1950s, on one wall of each classroom at Holy Rosary Elementary School in Idaho Falls a huge pre-World War II map was posted. All the British Commonwealth holdings appeared in pink and seemed to cover nearly half the globe. Their Mercator projection made Canada appear immense, as well as Alaska. Tucked into Central […]
Ex-NCT member sees opportunity in K-pop music for kids
K-pop songs have long rung out across Korean kindergartens and elementary school classrooms, but few of them were ever written with children in min...
How overhead projectors took over your classroom
On Version History: Class is in session.
AHN takes lifesaving training into western Pennsylvania classrooms
AHN's new Building Bridges program teaches students CPR, Narcan use and other lifesaving skills while introducing health care careers.
AHN takes lifesaving training into western Pennsylvania classrooms
AHN's new Building Bridges program teaches students CPR, Narcan use and other lifesaving skills while introducing health care careers.
Traverse City Central's New 'Ride Lab' Uses Skateboards to Teach Physics, Business Skills
What if the most effective physics classroom isn’t a classroom at all, but a skate park? This fall, Traverse City Central High School is experimenting with that very question. Brett Derr is one the teachers behind the Ride Lab, a brand-new double-block course at Central that combines physics, business, marketing, and advertising. In the past, …
From runway to classroom Jenny Smith shapes artist futures
From international runways to luxury cosmetics, Jenny Atwood Smith brings her creative vision to HOURGLASS Cosmetics.
Politics, Philosophy and Economic Society discusses ethics of physician-assisted suicide
Members of UCF’s Politics, Philosophy and Economics Society packed into Classroom Building 1 on Thursday night to debate the ethics of physician-assisted suicide being available to patients whose deep depression
New Board Members and Leadership Team at OH Foundation
The Oswego Health Foundation has announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors, along with new officers who will lead the foundation as it continues its mission of strengthening healthcare in the communities served by Oswego Health. Joining the board are: [caption id=attachment_11136 align=alignleft width=180] Susan Brannan Cole[/caption] • Susan Brannan Cole. She is a public affairs, marketing and communications leader with more than 20 years of experience. She serves as regional manager of external affairs for National Grid in Central New York. Cole also brings significant healthcare communications experience, having spent several years at Upstate Medical University in media relations, digital strategy and public engagement. She previously held leadership roles in communications and government affairs at Novelis and Constellation in Oswego. A graduate of SUNY Oswego, she is passionate about strengthening Central New York communities and supporting initiatives that improve quality of life across the region. [caption id=attachment_11129 align=alignright width=150] Rich Baldwin[/caption] • Rich Baldwin. He serves as director of marketing and business development at King + King Architects, where he leads the firm’s marketing, communications and business development initiatives. Baldwin has remained actively involved in community and nonprofit organizations, including previously serving on the board of regents at Le Moyne College. He has also supported community initiatives through organizations including the Onondaga Historical Association and Father Champlin’s Guardian Angel Society. New leadership at the foundation are: • William W. “Bill” Crist will chair the Oswego Health Foundation. He brings more than 40 years of experience in education, from classroom teacher to superintendent of schools. He retired in 2023 from the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Syracuse and remains deeply engaged in the community through numerous nonprofit and volunteer boards. He also serves as chairman of the Sanctuary Advisory Board for the proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary. • Heather Sunser will serve as vice chair. Sunser is a financial services practice group leader at Barclay Damon LLP, where she focuses primarily on real estate law, institutional lending, land use and municipal compliance. A graduate of Syracuse University College of Law, she is also active in community service, volunteering with Vera House Legal Clinic, Habitat for Humanity and the Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Onondaga County Bar Foundation. • Darcy Antonucci will be the foundation’s treasurer. Antonucci serves as comptroller for Broadwell Hospitality Group, overseeing the financial functions of nine growing corporations as well as the company’s administrative departments. She brings extensive experience in finance, human resources and business operations, along with a strong record of community leadership. Antonucci has served on the Compass Credit Union board of directors and is an active member of the Trinity Catholic School Board. She has also been involved with the Oswego Health Foundation Gala Committee since 2018. • Attorney Rachael A. Dator will serve as secretary. Dator serves as administrator of the Oswego County Assigned Counsel Program, where she oversees grant funding, budgeting and program operations. With more than a decade of legal experience, she has served as an assistant district attorney, court attorney and legal counsel to municipalities and social services organizations. Dator brings extensive knowledge of law, governance and nonprofit operations to her role with the foundation.
Perspective | Don't throw out what works: Leveraging cooperative learning as a scaffold for science and engineering practices
With new science standards in North Carolina, the solution might be to incorporate them into old strategies like collaborative learning.
Casey’s Cash for Classrooms campaign brings in record $1.8 million
Ankeny-based Casey’s General Stores announced that its annual Cash for Classrooms campaign generated a record $1.8 million in August to support K-12 schools across its 19-state footprint. The total included nearly $1.5 million in customer donations, $250,000 from the Coca-Cola Co. and $100,000 from Casey’s. “The incredible response to this year’s campaign shows just how…
Cut screen time in classrooms to avoid long-term health issues, government urged
A group of clinicians warns technology use in English schools is driving a rise in health problems like short-sightedness.
Science learning and more at Camp IslandWood
Lakeridge Elementary School fifth-graders recently visited Camp IslandWood on Bainbridge Island. They engaged in science learning and observations, experienced art and music connections, played many games and participated in “Soil to Snack” where they collaboratively cooked food with items from the IslandWood garden. They hiked the many trials down to Blakely Harbor and experienced the tidal zones and came together in “One Pride the Lion Way to build belonging between all 5th grade classrooms at Lakeridge,” reads a school district post. Photo courtesy of the Mercer Island School District
Spooky Science Event at the Florence Farmers Market
(Mass Appeal) – Are your kiddos looking for a fun, interactive STEM activity that incorporates Halloween? Then we have Spooky Science at the Florence Farmers Market on Wednesday, October 14th from 2:00pm-6:00pm.Here to tell us more is Dr. Megan Allen, Founder & Owner of The Community Classroom Tutoring and Cora Rose Allen-Flynn, Megan’s daughter & […]
SC's political pocketbook is on the November ballot. Here's what to know
From a treasurer's race focused on a $1.8 billion error to school boards weighing tax hikes v. classroom cuts, your wallet is on the ballot.
Cross-disciplinary Clemson research team earns NSF award to develop science teachers
Steph Dean is leading a research team to cultivate more scientist-educators who can build bridges between classrooms and nature.
Small businesses, big lessons: How UT San Antonio interns help entrepreneurs grow
At the Valdez Institute for Economic Development, students trade classroom theory for real clients and real stakes.
New statewide data shows youth mental health is improving and students feel safer in Pa. schools
HARRISBURG — A statewide survey of more than 267,000 Pennsylvania students shows that investments under the Shapiro-Davis administration in youth...
France's school protests are about more than broken classrooms
Students taking to the streets in France have become a focal point in the country's increasingly polarised politics.
Whitmer celebrates Michigan educators completing intensive Science of Reading training
LANSING, Mich. — On Wednesday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that 8,019 Michigan educators have now completed Language Essentials for Teaching Reading and Spelling (LETRS) training, a program that helps educators strengthen their literacy instruction and implement proven methods, like phonics and comprehension, to empower kids in the classroom. This milestone comes after Michigan saw record […]
Retired Middle School Teacher Brings the Science of Organ Donation into Wyoming Classrooms
Donor Alliance's Transplantation Science program gives students and their families a reason to talk about organ, eye and tissue donation
Emory humanities, social science faculty debate artificial intelligence, tech-free classrooms
As some universities across the country implement prohibitive bans on student devices in classes, professors consider the benefits and drawbacks of technology and AI in higher education
Study finds simulation game helps students grasp complex health economics concepts
In Phillip Zane's classroom, students weigh an invitation to jump out of an airplane. The skydiving lesson and jump are free, and the exercise assumes there is zero risk of death. But an injury could ...
Colorado’s girls deserve same sporting lessons I had
I learned to swim at the Piney Creek Pool in Centennial. I was a kid chasing the girl in the next lane, with no idea that water was about to become my classroom. That pool led me to Smoky Hill High School, where I won back-to-back state championships in the 200 individual medley and set […]
Young Bridgeport scientists learn by doing
BRIDGEPORT – Bridgeport Middle School’s eighth graders at John Martin’s Engineering and Science Technology class are learning the ropes as young scientists and engineers. They have completed their latest project, a wave machine where pendulums swing in a precisely calculated pattern. His classroom and lab is in the Bridge, the new multipurpose facility which opened […]
How to Intertwine the Science of Teaching With the Art of It (Opinion)
The best teachers rely on many strategies to meet the challenges that arise in the classroom.
Emory humanities, social science faculty debate artificial intelligence, tech-free classrooms
As some universities across the country implement prohibitive bans on student devices in classes, professors consider the benefits and drawbacks of technology and AI in higher education.
Students Use Forensic Science Skills in Escape Room
Hundreds of students from across the region put their problem-solving skills to the test this week during the Regional Science Consortium’s annual Forensic Science Escape Room. Elementary school students had just a few hours to figure out how someone died as part of a forensic science escape room activity. The Regional Science Consortium partnered with Mercyhurst University for the 10th year of the event, which is taking place at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. It began Monday and runs through Thursday.Throughout the week, more than 250 students are working to solve murder mysteries using real forensic science techniques. Students must analyze the evidence, piece together clues and solve the crime before time runs out.Organizers said the event gives students interested in pursuing forensic science in college a firsthand look at what a career in the field could entail.Sarah Skelton, Special Gifts Coordinator at Iroquois, said the activity provides students with an opportunity to develop skills that can sometimes be difficult to practice in a traditional classroom. "It really helps them to work in teams and on critical thinking skills. Which, not that they don't get these opportunities, but it's hard sometimes in the classroom to develop those higher-level thinking skills”, said Skelton.Students also get a chance to learn how forensic science is used in real-life investigations. As Skelton explained, "What are the real-life applications? What would you actually see in a crime scene? How would you handle these types of forensic investigations? So it's really cool our kids get to see what opportunities are out there and possibly a career field one day."The popular event has grown over the years, with some students returning year after year. Organizers said watching those students grow and develop their interests is one of the highlights of the program.Jeanette Schnars, the Executive Director of the Regional Science Consortium said it's rewarding to see how students' interests evolve as they get older. According to Schnars, "How they have grown and matured and where their interests are going and maybe they aren't going into forensics, but if they are going into sciences or different disciplines, so it's really fulfilling to see how they have matured."One student who continues to enjoy the event is sixth-grader Mia Harvey of Iroquois. Harvey hopes to pursue a career in medicine and says the forensic science activities are helping her explore her interests, "One day I want to become a neurologist, and learning about the bones is probably going to help me."Harvey said her favorite part of the event is the real-life application of what she's learning. "While you are trying to find the clues, they teach real stuff that you would need to know”, said Harvey.Event organizers said if students are learning while having fun, then the program is accomplishing its goal. "Not only are they learning the science, but they are having fun with it too”, said Schnars.Adults will also have a chance to take part in the experience this Saturday during an adult version of the escape room, which will feature food, drinks and entertainment. For more information, click here.The Forensic Science Escape Room has become one of the Regional Science Consortium’s most popular events, with teachers signing up their students as soon as registration opens in August.
Science Teacher Arrested, Accused of Dragging 7th Grader 20 Feet by the Arm
A Florida middle school teacher was arrested after school surveillance video allegedly showed her pulling a student out of a classroom by the arm. Fada Concepcion, a seventh-grade science teacher at T...
CSUN in D.C. Internship Expands Student’s Public Health Career Aspirations
For Josiah Morrow, a three-month internship in Washington, D.C., turned the nation’s capital into a classroom — and helped shape his future in healthcare.
Supreme Court declines First Amendment case of students forced to remove ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ sweatshirts
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a First Amendment appeal from two middle school students who were ordered to remove sweatshirts emblazoned with the words “Let’s Go Brandon,” steering clear of a case that could have clarified the power schools have to police potentially offense speech in the classroom.
Ivy Summer in Rome offers five weeks of business courses and culture
For five weeks during the summer, Iowa State business students trade lecture halls in Ames for classrooms in Rome as part of the Ivy Summer in Rome program. Designed for Ivy College of Business students, the program offers four classes that students can choose from. All classes are required for business majors, minors and certificates,...
Bishop’s computer science chair says AI is eliminating ‘grunt work’ and reshaping digital jobs
Dr. Russell Butler, chair of Bishop’s University’s Department of Computer Science, says artificial intelligence is increasingly taking over routine digital “grunt work,” changing the skills students and workers may need in the years ahead. Photo courtesy of Bishop’s University. Click here to read our platform! Get local news like this every morning. Subscribe free below. Subscribe Pulse Newsroom Artificial intelligence is already taking over some of the routine digital work once performed by entry-level employees, according to Bishop’s University Computer Science chair Dr. Russell Butler — a shift he believes will make expertise, judgement and the ability to evaluate AI-generated work increasingly important. Butler described the change as automation reaching what he calls the “bottom of the cognitive pyramid” during an interview with The Pulse about AI, university education and the future of digital work. His argument is not that humans are disappearing from the workplace. Instead, he sees their role changing as AI becomes capable of handling more of the repetitive tasks involved in computer-based work. “Everything’s converging on just AI basically doing all the grunt work,” Butler said. The bottom of the cognitive pyramid Butler is from Lennoxville, completed his undergraduate studies at Bishop’s and later earned his PhD at the Université de Sherbrooke. He joined Bishop’s in 2019 and now chairs its Department of Computer Science. He uses AI in research, teaching and other creative work, and said the technology is increasingly capable of handling routine digital tasks that once required substantial human time. “You’ve got the grunt work, like moving things around in Excel, doing basic programming tasks,” Butler said. “That’s like the bottom grunt work that the entry-level worker would have done two or three years ago.” Butler went further, saying in his view that much of this type of work has already been absorbed by AI tools. He connected that change to a shift he sees taking place in computer science, where entry-level roles have declined while experienced workers can use AI to increase what they can produce. “A senior developer now has access to essentially an unlimited amount of junior developers on demand,” Butler said. He was describing AI systems metaphorically, not literal employees. His point was that one experienced developer can now ask AI tools to produce code or other technical work that might previously have been assigned to more junior workers. That raises a broader question for universities and employers. If some of the simpler work traditionally given to newcomers can now be done by machines, how do people gain the experience needed to become senior workers themselves? Students doing work that once required years of programming Butler said he is already seeing the change inside his classroom. He created a Bishop’s course called CS208, Coding in Plain English, to show students — including those without traditional programming backgrounds — what they can accomplish using AI. Some come from disciplines such as psychology or neuroscience with no previous programming experience. “What I’m finding is that students who have zero programming experience, they come in from another discipline like psychology or neuroscience or something, they are now able to get up and running with real data sets,” Butler said. Butler’s own doctoral work involved neuroimaging, and he said he has assigned students work he considers comparable to the kinds of analysis he performed during his PhD. He described giving students a real dataset, an expected result and instructions to use AI to complete the analysis. Butler said those students have been able to carry out work at a level he associates with tasks he once performed after years of programming experience. That does not mean a student using AI instantly acquires the same knowledge as an experienced computer scientist. But Butler sees it as evidence that AI can dramatically lower the technical barrier between having a problem to solve and producing a working result. The role of the person using the system then changes. They need to know what to ask for, understand enough about the subject to judge the answer and take responsibility for what is ultimately produced. What about AI hallucinations? One persistent concern surrounding generative AI is hallucination — when a system produces information that sounds convincing but is false or unsupported. Butler said that problem has improved substantially in newer systems and is not as severe as it was with earlier models. He pointed in particular to newer AI systems’ ability to search the web, consult scientific databases and return source links rather than simply generating a citation from their internal model. Butler nevertheless said users should verify what AI produces. “You should verify,” he said while discussing citations generated with AI. His position is that hallucinations have become less common in the systems he uses, not that incorrect AI output is impossible. Human checking remains part of the process. Hours of work compressed Butler offered another example from his administrative work at Bishop’s. The university has been comparing CEGEP courses with first-year Bishop’s courses to determine where students may qualify for advanced standing. Traditionally, Butler said, that means reviewing two sets of course descriptions and manually matching one institution’s courses with another’s. As department chair, that could require hours of reading and comparison. He said AI can now be given both sets of material and asked to generate an initial mapping automatically. “It saves me hours and hours of work,” Butler said. Butler said the AI-generated mapping can also produce a better result than he would produce himself. He sees similar opportunities in businesses. A company may receive specifications, drawings, emails or other digital material from customers and then have employees convert that information into an internal format before anything can be manufactured or delivered. AI can increasingly perform parts of that intermediate processing. In Butler’s view, the employee does not necessarily disappear. Instead, the job becomes more about checking the result. “The human is still there,” he said. Judgement could become more valuable That change is central to Butler’s view of where digital work may be headed. If AI can produce a first draft, write basic code, compare documents or process large amounts of information, he argues that knowledge and judgement become increasingly important. “The real scarce resource going forward is going to be domain knowledge, expertise, and… credentials, authority, the ability to work with other people,” Butler said. He is therefore encouraging students not only to learn AI tools but also to broaden their education. He mentioned acting, fine art and photography as examples of courses that can help develop what he described as taste and intuition — the ability to recognize what is good, what is not and what should be changed. “And that’s the skill that they need now because the grunt work has been automated and now it’s about evaluating what the AI produces and telling it how to improve or expand the output,” Butler said. That does not remove the need for technical knowledge. Butler’s argument is that the emphasis may shift away from manually completing every step of a task and toward directing, checking and improving work produced with AI assistance. He also stressed that humans remain responsible for final decisions. “At the end of the day, the human has to make the final call,” Butler said, pointing to the question of accountability. Physical work may be different Butler draws a distinction between digital work and jobs requiring people to manipulate the physical world. He expects AI to continue advancing quickly in tasks performed almost entirely on computers. He is more cautious about claims that humanoid robots will soon be able to replace workers such as plumbers or electricians. Butler said those trades would not be replaced “anytime soon” in his view and described some current robotics demonstrations as overhyped. He described the situation as counterintuitive. “It’s almost like we solved the highest level first,” he said, contrasting advances in digital AI with the harder problem of building robots capable of operating reliably in the physical world. Butler’s argument is that some digital occupations could face automation sooner than trades requiring complex physical work. The wider AI shift in the Townships Butler’s comments come as local institutions are increasingly grappling with how AI should be used. The federal government recently announced up to $162 million over five years for 10,000 AI-related placements through Mitacs. The Université de Sherbrooke told The Pulse that the number of its collaborative research and innovation projects supported through Mitacs has approximately doubled since 2018-19, while the number of placements has approximately tripled. UdeS also said it already has projects involving both AI adoption and the application of AI to other fields. At Bishop’s, Butler said part of his role involves building the Computer Science department’s local presence, connecting students with regional partners and strengthening relationships with the Sherbrooke technology ecosystem. Those developments put universities in a difficult position. They have to prepare students to use the tools employers increasingly have available while also making sure graduates understand enough to recognize when those tools are wrong, incomplete or being applied to the wrong problem. The risk of losing human skills Butler does not see AI as risk-free. Later in the interview, he raised a separate concern: as AI becomes better at reading, writing, programming and other cognitive tasks, people could lose some of the underlying skills that historically helped produce new ideas. “The other danger is that we’re going to lose the human skills,” Butler said. He specifically mentioned reading and writing and argued that people could lose some of the lower-level understanding that contributes to breakthroughs. Butler said AI systems are based on existing human knowledge and argued that they become much more powerful when paired with a capable person. That tension runs through his view of the technology. AI can remove hours of routine work. It can allow beginners to perform tasks that once required substantial technical training. It can give experienced workers significant leverage. But the more capable the technology becomes, the more important it may be for people to develop the judgement needed to decide what should be done in the first place. For Butler, that is where education may have to change. Students still need to understand their field. They still need to know when something is wrong. And they still need to be able to make the final decision. But if AI increasingly handles the bottom of the cognitive pyramid, the value of a worker may depend less on how quickly they can perform the grunt work and more on whether they understand what the work is supposed to accomplish. Don’t miss the next story that affects your community. Join thousands of readers getting The Pulse every morning—plus breaking news alerts when it matters most. If you value this kind of local journalism, consider supporting it. Subscribe, share and like! Subscribe Share
BC alum introduces students to the science of flavor and opportunities in culinary education
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, students at Bethlehem Central High School explored culinary education and the science of taste during a visit from BC alumnus Emily Crandall. Crandall, a 2017 BCHS graduate, works as an admissions counselor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. Her classroom visit was arranged by Family … Continue reading "BC alum introduces students to the science of flavor and opportunities in culinary education"
Rock Hill students run real businesses, build skills and fund scholarships
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Teachers team up to build a statewide science kit business outside the traditional classroom
Former educators Lindsey MacWha and Jennifer Corron share how they grew their pandemic project into a full-time venture.
Teachers team up to build a statewide science kit business outside the traditional classroom
Former educators Lindsey MacWha and Jennifer Corron share how they grew their pandemic project into a full-time venture.
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More Than a Game: How Baseball Became a Classroom
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Hall Pass: Your Ticket to Understanding School Board Politics, Edition #225
Welcome to Hall Pass, a newsletter written to keep you plugged into the conversations driving school board governance, the politics surrounding it, and education policy. In today’s edition, you’ll find: On the issues: The debate over AI in the classroom In this section, we curate reporting, analysis, and commentary on the issues school board members deliberate […]
Monitoring the Midterms: Health care costs a major concern for voters ahead of midterms
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Mark Rober’s mission to support science classrooms
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One geology step closer to the Moon
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Jupiter High students take science out of the classroom for 30-year fish study
Jupiter High School students are helping track the health of the Indian River Lagoon through a fish study that has continued for more than 30 years.Students in
Clovis East floral design students gain real-world wedding industry experience
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In Kastellorizo, Science Becomes a Game of Questions
KASTELLORIZO – On Kastellorizo this October, you will not have to walk into a laboratory to find science. You may encounter it on a narrow island street, in a school classroom, at a workshop table, in the middle of a game — or in the sudden question of a child who wants to know why. For three days,
From the Classroom to the Laboratory: Experiential Learning Shapes Food Science Student’s Future
Two semesters of experiential learning in Rutgers’ food packaging laboratory helped Daniel Burd transform classroom knowledge into award-winning research with real-world applications for the food industry. When Daniel Burd first arrived at Rutgers after earning an associate degree from Brookdale Community College, he knew he loved food science because it brought chemistry and biology to […]
Calling all current and future scientists: Kiel is the place to be this week
This week, Kiel has become a meeting place for science in Europe. Researchers, school pupils, young scientists and members of the public are coming together through a series of major events led or co-organised by Kiel University.At the centre of it all are around 150 of Europe’s most talented young researchers, aged 14 to 20, who have travelled to Kiel from nearly 40 countries for the 37th European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). Running from 22 to 27 September, the European Union’s flagship competition for young scientists brings together winners of national science competitions to present around 100 original research projects across fields ranging from engineering and computer science to medicine, environmental research and the social sciences. The winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony on Saturday.For Kiel University, hosting EUCYS is both an honour and a natural extension of a much longer story. Germany’s northernmost comprehensive university has invested for many years in supporting young scientific talent and bringing research into dialogue with society. The Kiel Science Factory gives school pupils opportunities to experience research first-hand, while programmes such as Rent-a-Scientist send researchers directly into local classrooms. Major annual public events including Kiel Week and the European Researchers’ Night take science beyond the campus through talks, exhibitions and hands-on activities.That long-standing commitment has increasingly taken on a European dimension – and this week, many of those efforts are coming together.One of the foundations for this success is the European Researchers’ Night (ERN), which celebrates its tenth edition in the Kiel region this year. The initiative is funded through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, with Kiel University developing the successful EU proposals and securing the funding, while regional partner KielRegion coordinates the many activities on the ground. Together with research institutions, schools, companies, local authorities and civil society, they have built ERN into a major platform for public engagement.Over the years, Kiel’s ERN programme has grown far beyond a single evening into a whole “Science Summer”, beginning with “Science Shopping” in spring and culminating tomorrow, 25 September, in Science Day.“We have developed a wide range of public engagement formats, often together with the other research institutions in the region, the city and regional authorities, schools, companies and civil society,” says Eckhard Quandt, Kiel University’s vice president for research, academic infrastructure and transfer. “Over the past decade, we have increasingly taken this commitment to the European level.”That combination of European funding expertise and strong regional partnerships also helped Kiel University take the next step. Drawing on its experience with ERN and its European networks, including the SEA-EU University Alliance, the university brought together Brest in France and Split in Croatia for a successful bid to the EU’s new Science Comes to Town initiative. Throughout 2026, the three cities are serving as Europe’s first Science Ambassadors, with more than one thousand activities bringing science into schools, public spaces, cultural venues and everyday life.EUCYS is perhaps the clearest example of how Kiel University is using Science Comes to Town to create new connections between major European initiatives. From the outset, the university deliberately planned the contest for the week of European Researchers’ Night and opened the EUCYS exhibition to the wider Science Day audience. Tomorrow, that means thousands of visitors can encounter the next generation of scientific talent first-hand, while the young researchers themselves gain a much bigger public stage.“Because we opened EUCYS up for European Researchers’ Night, there will be a lot of people actually visiting the exhibition,” says organiser Stefanie Altemark of Kiel University.“We wanted Europe’s most talented young scientists not only to compete with one another, but also to become visible to the wider public. At the same time, people in Kiel will have the opportunity to see what the next generation of scientists are already capable of,” says Quandt.“We’ve shown over the last years that science is a big part of Kiel, and it’s always been the goal to not only show that to people in Germany, but also to show it to people all over Europe. Thanks to Kiel University’s expertise in European funding programmes, we have been able to turn that ambition into reality,” says Sünje Fock, who is coordinating the Science Summer at KielRegion.The model is characteristic of Kiel University’s approach: combining European funding expertise and international networks with strong regional partnerships to give major initiatives greater reach and visibility.This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, giving Kiel University the special opportunity to welcome Vanessa Debiais-Sainton, Head of Department for the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions at the European Research Executive Agency, to Kiel tomorrow. Her visit brings together two priorities that have shaped Kiel University’s work over the past decade: supporting researchers and bringing science closer to society. Debiais-Sainton emphasises how closely the two are connected: "For thirty years, the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) have given more than 150,000 researchers the chance to pursue their dreams and open up new fields. Doctoral Networks and Postdoctoral Fellowships give them the freedom to move, to connect, to train and to follow their curiosity across borders, sectors and disciplines. But excellence cannot live only in laboratories. Researchers’ Night takes science out of the lab and into the city, to the families, the schoolchildren and the curious minds who will become the next generation. Kiel shows what that looks like at its best. That is the MSCA promise: open science, open borders, open doors."For Kiel University, these activities are not separate endeavours. They are part of a broader understanding of academic excellence in which outstanding research, talent development, international cooperation, knowledge transfer and engagement with society strengthen one another.“For me, one of the most important lessons from the past decade is that scientific excellence, knowledge transfer, talent development and engagement with society cannot be treated as separate tasks,” stresses vice president Quandt. “They reinforce one another.”That philosophy is also reflected in Kiel University’s current bid for Germany’s Excellence University status. The designation is part of Germany’s national Excellence Strategy, which provides substantial long-term funding to selected universities to strengthen internationally competitive research and their overall institutional development. A successful outcome would provide new opportunities to build on what has already been created: deepening international cooperation, creating more opportunities for knowledge exchange and public engagement, and extending the university’s reach across the region and beyond. “If we are successful, it would allow us to take what we have built in Kiel considerably further – including expanding our networks and transfer activities beyond the region and increasingly across the Baltic area,” says Quandt.This week’s events offer a glimpse of what that could mean in practice: a university using its research strength, European expertise and regional partnerships to create opportunities for scientists at every stage of their careers while making science more visible, accessible and exciting to the wider public.
Hands-on science can be cool
After spending many long days conducting experiments to find a new way to combat bacterial infections in crops, Misha Hegde and Mia Soleil Maurer have been rewarded with international recognition and access to top research facilities. But these are not typical scientists. They are 16-year-old German high school students.“Our supervisor told us that in order to start a project, you need to begin with either a question or a problem,” says Misha, adding that she and Mia had read about antibiotic resistance in certain plants being treated for bacterial infections. “We found out that antibiotics overuse is very common in agriculture,” explains Mia. “Our aim was to create an alternative to antibiotics and to try to raise awareness of the problem of overusing antibiotics.”Their subsequent research has focused on harnessing bacteriophages, the natural predators of bacteria, to eliminate pathogens threatening food crops treated with antibiotics. At the Schuldorf Bergstraße Jugend forscht MakerLab in Seeheim-Jugenheim, located in the German state of Hesse, they discovered a novel phage that infects the Rhizobium rhizogenes bacterium, which causes the hairy root disease that can reduce yields of tomatoes, carrots, soya beans and other food staples.The students believe their method could curb antibiotic use, while protecting plants from infections without disturbing the natural soil microbiome. “The application of phages is host-specific, so they would only kill the targeted pathogen or disease-causing bacteria,” explains Mia. It may also offer environmental benefits, since applying antibiotics can contaminate groundwater.Getting to this point has not been easy. The childhood friends admit to feeling frustrated when their trials did not yield the expected results. “We spent six months on our first experiment, just doing the same thing over and over and over again, to the point where we thought, is it even worth it? Why are we doing this?” Misha says. “You just need to be brave enough to take that first step and keep going.”The benefits of inquiry-based learningTheir determination has paid off. In 2025, the pair won first prize in biology at Jugend forscht, Germany’s national competition for young people interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They were also among the winners of the German Research Foundation Europa-Preis, which is awarded to selected national winners at Jugend forscht, and took third place in the 2025 European Union Contest for Young Scientists.The Jugend forscht Foundation opens doors for young people to connect with scientists as well as industry professionals. Jessica Bönsch, executive director of the Foundation, sees Misha and Mia as prime examples of how young people can develop a deeper understanding of science through their own research projects. “The experience of working on your own research question is very important,” she explains, adding that “inquiry-based learning engages with real-life problems in a way that can be more motivating than traditional classroom teaching.”The Jugend forscht Foundation offers financial support through sponsor pools in Germany’s federal states. Some projects are developed in cooperation with student research centres, university labs or informal collaborative learning areas called makerspaces. Other activities start as hands-on “garage projects” and can grow within the Jugend forscht network and infrastructure.The Jugend forscht Foundation is also a partner of Science Comes to Town, an EU initiative to strengthen public awareness about science and create bridges between researchers and communities. The EU-financed project involves universities, research institutions and other stakeholders in three host cities — Brest (France), Kiel (Germany) and Split (Croatia).“It's so important for people not to live in a bubble, because I think science can be very scary if you misunderstand it,” Mia says of SCTT. The initiative’s aim of raising awareness about science is “absolutely amazing,” Misha adds. “I think it's the best way to kind of make science digestible for the public. In a world where misinformation in science is getting more radical, more dangerous, becoming more of a threat to the trust in scientific infrastructure and foundations, we need such programmes.”Misha and Mia also believe that SCTT can help break down gender stereotypes in science by encouraging young women to study and pursue careers in scientific fields. Both students have benefited from female mentors and encouragement they had when they were much younger. Mia’s love of science began with a class trip to a lab, while Misha — with a smile on her face — says she wanted to study history until “a teacher kind of coerced me into joining a school science club.”Recognition beyond EuropeIn May, Misha and Mia were among the finalists at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair held in Phoenix, Arizona, and involving nearly 1,700 pre-university students from over 60 countries. “It was very crazy because there were so many people and so many teenagers interested in science,” Mia recalls. The event was also challenging. “It was eight hours of continuously presenting your project,” adds Misha.Attending the fair was a chance for the young women to see first-hand the value of international collaboration as well as how research cultures differ. “America is a bit more willing to take risks, and I think that's something we can learn about here in Europe,” Misha explains. However, she continues, “I think Europe has the talent, has the innovation and has the resources” to be competitive.Misha and Mia plan to continue their phage experiments in the new school year, inspired by the project’s hands-on nature and the support they receive from their supervisors. They have also attracted the interest of professional scientists and received invitations to leading research facilities, including the Centre for Synthetic Microbiology, jointly run by the University of Marburg and the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology in Germany. “It is so cool that we can do something to try to move the world in our school and at this age,” Mia says.After completing secondary school, Mia plans to study microbiology and pursue a career in medical research, focusing on Ebola and other infectious diseases. “This has been my dream for so long,” she says. Her friend Misha is interested in biological research with a focus on medicine. “I've gotten addicted to the process of going to the lab, planning out experiments, then failing, trying again,” Misha says. “I think there's just so much to be discovered, so much to be done.”The students' names and photos were published with the permission of their parents.Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
G&F brings science learning to life for Eastside second-graders
Second-grade students at Eastside Elementary recently traded their classroom for a hands-on science experience with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department as part of a new partnership designed to connect
Health Care Partnership outlines workforce progress
More local nursing graduates are staying in the region, according to officials offering an update on the progress of the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership at a public forum last night. According to Jack Watson, dean of UNCW’s College of Health & Human Services, the number of UNCW nursing graduates choosing to remain in the area after graduation has climbed from 27% to the mid-40% range. The New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership aims to address the region’s healthcare worker shortage, with a key focus on nursing through strategic partnerships between UNCW, Cape Fear Community College (CFCC), New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Foundation. "Each of the partners had pathway programs,” said Watson, “but they were almost at times done in a silo." One of the New Hanover Community Endowment's largest commitments to date, the collaborative received a $22.3 million grant in 2023, to be disbursed over three years, beginning in 2024. At the public forum, leadership addressed the nursing bottleneck created by the pandemic, and Laurie Whalin, president of the Novant Health Coastal Region, acknowledged that Novant Health had relied heavily on travel nurses during that period, with travel nurses making up about 47% of staff and nursing turnover at 35% at the height of the pandemic. "I can say we are in a tremendously different place today,” Whalin said at the forum. The number of travel nurses employed by the Novant Health Coastal Region has dropped to around 100 today, which Whalin says accounts for less than 4% of the workforce. Roughly two years into the grant term, major stakeholders in the collaboration pointed to various accomplishments tied to the initiative. According to Stephen Hill, vice president of talent development with the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, 250 more nurses live in New Hanover County in 2026 than in 2023. Whalin added that between 2021 and 2025, the Novant Health Coastal Region has hired close to 1,200 registered nurses. Additionally, according to Whalin, over the past two years, hiring and retention of nursing graduates from UNCW increased by 103%, while hiring and retention of nursing graduates from CFCC increased by 70%. Mandy Mills, director of career & technical education at New Hanover County Schools, pointed to the launch of its first Health Sciences Academy program, established across the county's four traditional high schools (Hoggard High School, Laney High School, Ashley High School and New Hanover High School), which started with 38 students last year. Mills also pointed to growth in the district’s Nursing Fundamentals course, which grew from 10 seats in 2023 to 50 in 2025-2026 and is now offered at all four traditional high schools. Watson emphasized the growing nursing class sizes and offered an update on the school’s accelerated nursing degree, which launched last year. Eleven students graduated in the first class, and all passed their boards on the first try, Watson said. This year’s class has 24 students. When the endowment announced its $22.3 million grant for the collaborative in 2023, UNCW and CFCC were each slated to receive the bulk of the funds, at about $10 million each. UNCW’s plans for the grant money included expanding its simulation lab, Watson said. He added that construction is expected to begin on the simulation lab this year and will likely extend through next year. According to Mary Ellen Naylor, dean of Health & Human Services at CFCC, the college has experienced growth in its associate degree nursing retention, rising from 59% in 2023 to 76% for the May 2026 class. CFCC used part of its endowment funding to support wraparound services, including a housing stipend, tuition assistance, exam assistance, emergency assistance, drop-in daycare and clinical and educational supplies. "We have very strong … students, but once they get into the program, there are competing priorities,” Naylor said. “They are working multiple jobs. They have children. They're single parents." According to Naylor, in 2026, 94% of students who used support services are still enrolled or have graduated. Addressing a question from an audience member about an approaching “enrollment cliff,” driven largely by dropping birth rates, Watson and Naylor said demand remains strong at both schools. “Right now … we do have more applicants than we have spots in our nursing program, and it is still a competitive process to get into,” Watson said. “I do not foresee that changing.” "(We've) doubled enrollment in our nursing programs over the last few years, but just as Dean Watson said, we still have very robust applicant pools, so it is still very competitive to get in,” Naylor said. "We have the applicant pool to support that, but again, it's not as easy as just saying, 'Okay … we're going to take another 90 students.' It's making sure all the resources and infrastructure that we need to educate the students outside the classroom is there as well." In response to a question about applying the collaborative model to other healthcare positions besides nursing, Sophie Dagenais, CEO and president of the endowment, said she sees the potential for the model to expand to other healthcare jobs and even other industries, but that the endowment hopes to learn from this model first. “This is a grant that is in year two of three years, and first we wanted to learn what is this going to demonstrate, what will we learn and then how may we scale it possibly,” she said. According to endowment spokesperson Amber Rogerson, funds for the program are set to expire after June 2027. “It's too early to discuss what happens after that,” wrote Rogerson in an email, “though we know the partners are considering the future, and some of the work supported by the grants is now built into their regular operations.”
Health Care Partnership outlines workforce progress
More local nursing graduates are staying in the region, according to officials offering an update on the progress of the New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership at a public forum last night. According to Jack Watson, dean of UNCW’s College of Health & Human Services, the number of UNCW nursing graduates choosing to remain in the area after graduation has climbed from 27% to the mid-40% range. The New Hanover Healthcare Career Partnership aims to address the region’s healthcare worker shortage, with a key focus on nursing through strategic partnerships between UNCW, Cape Fear Community College (CFCC), New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Foundation. "Each of the partners had pathway programs,” said Watson, “but they were almost at times done in a silo." One of the New Hanover Community Endowment's largest commitments to date, the collaborative received a $22.3 million grant in 2023, to be disbursed over three years, beginning in 2024. At the public forum, leadership addressed the nursing bottleneck created by the pandemic, and Laurie Whalin, president of the Novant Health Coastal Region, acknowledged that Novant Health had relied heavily on travel nurses during that period, with travel nurses making up about 47% of staff and nursing turnover at 35% at the height of the pandemic. "I can say we are in a tremendously different place today,” Whalin said at the forum. The number of travel nurses employed by the Novant Health Coastal Region has dropped to around 100 today, which Whalin says accounts for less than 4% of the workforce. Roughly two years into the grant term, major stakeholders in the collaboration pointed to various accomplishments tied to the initiative. According to Stephen Hill, vice president of talent development with the Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, 250 more nurses live in New Hanover County in 2026 than in 2023. Whalin added that between 2021 and 2025, the Novant Health Coastal Region has hired close to 1,200 registered nurses. Additionally, according to Whalin, over the past two years, hiring and retention of nursing graduates from UNCW increased by 103%, while hiring and retention of nursing graduates from CFCC increased by 70%. Mandy Mills, director of career & technical education at New Hanover County Schools, pointed to the launch of its first Health Sciences Academy program, established across the county's four traditional high schools (Hoggard High School, Laney High School, Ashley High School and New Hanover High School), which started with 38 students last year. Mills also pointed to growth in the district’s Nursing Fundamentals course, which grew from 10 seats in 2023 to 50 in 2025-2026 and is now offered at all four traditional high schools. Watson emphasized the growing nursing class sizes and offered an update on the school’s accelerated nursing degree, which launched last year. Eleven students graduated in the first class, and all passed their boards on the first try, Watson said. This year’s class has 24 students. When the endowment announced its $22.3 million grant for the collaborative in 2023, UNCW and CFCC were each slated to receive the bulk of the funds, at about $10 million each. UNCW’s plans for the grant money included expanding its simulation lab, Watson said. He added that construction is expected to begin on the simulation lab this year and will likely extend through next year. According to Mary Ellen Naylor, dean of Health & Human Services at CFCC, the college has experienced growth in its associate degree nursing retention, rising from 59% in 2023 to 76% for the May 2026 class. CFCC used part of its endowment funding to support wraparound services, including a housing stipend, tuition assistance, exam assistance, emergency assistance, drop-in daycare and clinical and educational supplies. "We have very strong … students, but once they get into the program, there are competing priorities,” Naylor said. “They are working multiple jobs. They have children. They're single parents." According to Naylor, in 2026, 94% of students who used support services are still enrolled or have graduated. Addressing a question from an audience member about an approaching “enrollment cliff,” driven largely by dropping birth rates, Watson and Naylor said demand remains strong at both schools. “Right now … we do have more applicants than we have spots in our nursing program, and it is still a competitive process to get into,” Watson said. “I do not foresee that changing.” "(We've) doubled enrollment in our nursing programs over the last few years, but just as Dean Watson said, we still have very robust applicant pools, so it is still very competitive to get in,” Naylor said. "We have the applicant pool to support that, but again, it's not as easy as just saying, 'Okay … we're going to take another 90 students.' It's making sure all the resources and infrastructure that we need to educate the students outside the classroom is there as well." In response to a question about applying the collaborative model to other healthcare positions besides nursing, Sophie Dagenais, CEO and president of the endowment, said she sees the potential for the model to expand to other healthcare jobs and even other industries, but that the endowment hopes to learn from this model first. “This is a grant that is in year two of three years, and first we wanted to learn what is this going to demonstrate, what will we learn and then how may we scale it possibly,” she said. According to endowment spokesperson Amber Rogerson, funds for the program are set to expire after June 2027. “It's too early to discuss what happens after that,” wrote Rogerson in an email, “though we know the partners are considering the future, and some of the work supported by the grants is now built into their regular operations.”
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