| University of Southern California
faculty members at the Biomimetic MicroElectronic Systems (BMES) Engineering
Research Center (ERC), in collaboration with local elementary school teachers,
have developed a novel program for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to
boost student performance and interest in science careers. Three
times during the school year faculty and students from the ERC volunteer
at Murchison Elementary School, located adjacent to the USC Health Science
Campus in East Los Angeles, to present a four-week comprehensive science-based
course to the young students. The modules that make up the course teach
fundamental science, math, and engineering principles in an age-appropriate
manner and provide hands-on discovery experiences for students, using research
being conducted in NSF-funded BMES laboratories as a starting and reference
point. Dr. Joseph Cocozza, BMES Associate Director of Outreach, collaborates
with the USC researchers and the teachers to design innovative active-learning
lessons that meet and often exceed California State science education standards.
A different teaching module
is presented in each of the three sessions during each school year: in
October-November a Neuromuscular Module developed by Center Deputy Director
Dr. Gerald Loeb; in February-March a Brain Module developed by BMES faculty
member Dr. Ted Berger, leader of the center’s cortical prosthesis research
thrust; and in May-June a Vision Module developed and led by Center Director
Mark Humayun and Associate Director of Research James Weiland. Once
a year, a training session is held for USC faculty and students who will
volunteer to participate in the outreach program at the elementary school—totaling
over 100 volunteers to date.
The outreach program targets
students who are underrepresented in the sciences and mathematics. According
to the 2004-2005 Los Angeles Unified School District survey, 99.1% of the
students at the elementary school identify themselves as “Latino” and 100%
live below the poverty line (income less than $35,798 for a family of four).
The school has also consistently ranked in the lowest percentile on the
California Academic Performance Index, a statewide standardized test.
For these reasons, Murchison Elementary was selected as a pilot school
for the BMES ERC’s focus on fostering an interactive relationship among
elementary school teachers, university professors, and students to enrich
the learning experience for the elementary school-aged students. Approximately
950 students and 40 teachers at Murchison have participated in the program
since it began in September 2003. The partnership between the BMES
ERC and the teachers increases the teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical
strategies for successfully implementing the BMES-driven science modules.
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