Recap of the YSP 20th Anniversary Celebration: Science education in the past, present, and future

Written by Peggy Ni - YSP Volunteer

The Past:

Amongst all the great morning talks, one that stood out was Dr. James McCarter's, which gave us insight into how YSP got started. As one of the founders of YSP, McCarter is the best person to tell us about science education 20 years ago. He says that like today, the city was struggling economically, with many living in poverty just blocks away from campus. But unlike today, 20 years ago there were very few options for sharing scientific research with people off-campus, and importantly, little opportunity for high school students around St. Louis to enhance their education and directly participate in research here. Because of this, James McCarter and Matt Schreiber created YSP to bring bright young students to WashU during the summer to conduct cutting-edge science at the bench. Known as the Summer Focus Program, it brought in 2 students in the first year. The numbers have steadily increased throughout the years, with the pool and number of applicants becoming so outstanding that it has become quite difficult to select participants among all the amazing students. Indeed, YSP has expanded significantly in the past 20 years. Kate Chiappinelli, the current Student Director, gave a great summary during the morning session. It now includes teaching teams that conduct science demos at surrounding schools, a Teacher/Researcher Partnership component to allow high school and middle school teachers to learn science in a WashU lab and incorporate that knowledge into the lesson plans, and many more excellent programs.

The Present:

"We are, at Washington University, as proud of this program, the Young Scientist Program, as we are of almost anything we've accomplished in the past couple of decades," says Dr. Larry Shapiro, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Medical Affairs, in his welcome address. 20 years after the start of YSP, the program is at its strongest. How has YSP thrived throughout the years? McCarter's answer is "adaptation and reinvention." The reinvention aspect is key. Since it is an organization run by students, it is able to grow and improve as new people with diverse backgrounds and teaching experiences come to WashU and have the chance to make an impact on YSP. The program has developed so much that many, including Dr. John Russell, Associate Dean of Graduate Education, believe YSP has become an influential factor for prospective WashU students. Russell states in his address that "half of the applicants indicate they're interested in YSP." Furthermore, Russell is "confident that the opportunities offered by YSP play a role in convincing some of the best students to choose DBBS (Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences)."

The Future:

Although YSP definitely has a lot to be proud of, our work regarding science education is not done. The afternoon keynote addresses, delivered by Yolanda George from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Dr. Barbara Schaal of WashU, and Dr. Bruce Alberts from the University of California, San Francisco, all emphasize this point. George illustrates this particularly well with her slides taken from a talk given by Dr. Charles Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, during the 2011 AAAS Forum on Science and Technology Policy. George warns us that the United States no longer measures number one in many categories critical to the future of our country. Comparing the U.S. with the rest of the world, we are number 6 in global innovation, 16 in college completion rate, 22 in broadband internet access, and 48 in the quality of K-12 math and science education. And, George warns us that the numbers are rising. So, what can we do about this? Many insightful ideas were raised during the roundtable discussion titled "Connecting Teachers, Volunteers, and Students to Influence the Next Generation of Scientists," with the consensus being to teach science less as a memorization of facts and more as a process. Dr. Matthew George, who is Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Howard University, suggests making teaching kits more informative. He fears that many of them don't adequately explain what red or blue tubes contain, and that students are blindly following protocols and going through the motions without understanding the science. He also brings up the excellent point that often, the ability to easily look up answers through Wikipedia and Google search may not be doing students any favors. Rather, genuinely doing the research and actively learning may allow students to appreciate science more, especially the discovery aspect of it. Rochelle Smith, Director of Diversity, Summer Research Programs and Community Outreach for DBBS at WashU, was another participant in the roundtable discussion. Her suggestion is an interesting one. She advises us to recruit volunteers from less obvious places. For example, getting the parents of high school students involved can encourage and enhance science education both at home and at school.

Although there is still work to do, seeing the passionate science educators gathering here today to celebrate YSP's success and to discuss ways to improve teaching has allowed me to feel optimistic that we can make a positive impact on the future of science education.