Core B: Education/Outreach Core

Project Summary Our outreach core will build off the success of the outreach initiatives supported through the P50 HD068157- 06A1 grant - Project BioEYES classroom-based science program; the Penn Academy for Reproductive Sciences (PARS), the Saturday program at UPenn; and the 6-week summer internship for PARS alumnae in co- Investigators’ laboratories. BioEYES is a K-12 science education program which provides classroom-based learning opportunities using live zebrafish. BioEYES is designed to incorporate teacher empowerment and provides professional development seminars and a co-teaching experience with trained science consultants, called outreach educators. The Penn Academy for Reproductive Medicine (PARS) is a 4 Saturday workshop led by expert clinicians and scientists. PARS incorporates a mix of small-group discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on lab activities to explore current research topics in reproductive health. Students dive into a journal article, discuss ethical decision-making, and prepare for future careers in science and medicine. Upon completion of PARS, students can then be hired as a 6-week summer researcher in our laboratories. In addition, we are adding a teacher professional development day to coincide with the summer internship poster session and celebration. The result of our outreach core is a series of science exposures that first target city biology classrooms and then offer specialized opportunities for high schoolers who have a genuine interest in science and research as well as an opportunity for their teachers to learn about epigenetics and see their own students’ research.