MySci delivers life sciences to youngest students
By Meliqueica Meadows
Of the St. Louis American
Several area schools, including Central Elementary in the Wellston district, recently had the opportunity to provide a unique, hands-on science lesson for their students. The MySci Investigation Station, funded by a $3.7 million grant from the Monsanto Fund, is currently touring area schools in an effort to expose kindergartners through second graders to the life sciences through its innovative program.
This interactive science experience on wheels features three habitats for students to explore. MySci program director Ann McMahon said she hopes the station inspires youth to consider careers in the life sciences and helps them to improve their math and language skills.
“A couple of years ago, Monsanto spent some time doing a survey of what educators in the area felt was needed in terms of science education and closing the achievement gap with children who were having trouble achieving in math and science. The MySci concept was based on that survey,” McMahon said.
“The program is also based on research in how people learn and what constitutes quality inquiry science experiences. We have curriculum around plants and animals that was developed with the help of the Missouri Botanical Garden and the St. Louis Zoo.”
The choice of age groups was deliberate.
“We’ve decided to focus on the K through second grades, because children at those ages have a natural curiosity about the world around them,” McMahon said. “Also, at that age educators are concerned with math skills and communication arts skills, and science is a wonderful context in which to develop those skills.”
The MySci program gives elementary students the chance to study science through inquiry that includes a visit from the roving vehicle of innovative exhibits and specimens.
“The objective of MySci is to foster and inspire the next generation of scientists and to close the achievement gap and to better serve the St. Louis community,” McMahon said.
“The way we do that is by exposing students to high-quality experiences in nature and then also with our investigation station, which is a mobile laboratory and museum of interactive science experiences.”
MySci is a collaborative effort among several leading science education institutions, including Washington University, the Saint Louis Science Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo.
The MySci program consists of a life science curriculum, professional development training for teachers, and materials for students used in the classroom prior to and following a visit by the investigation station. McMahon said they are in the process of constructing a website for the program that made its debut October 31, 2005.
“In our first six weeks, we’ve served about 1,100 students. We’re booked through May, and then we will start again in the fall. We will do professional development with teachers during the summer and at different times during the school year and are exploring ways to serve the St. Louis community through summer experiences as well,” McMahon said.
“We are open to all schools, but Monsanto has targeted eight school districts that are challenged with low achievement, and those schools get two-thirds of our available slots. The other one-third is available to schools on a first-come, first-served basis.”
She said demand is so high that the schedule for next school year is beginning to fill up. McMahon said they are constructing a second MySci Investigation Station in order to meet the demand.
“Monsanto is a company that draws its employees from the scientific community, and they’re interested in making sure that there’s a steady pipeline of scientists who can contribute to the quality of life of all of us,” McMahon said.
In just a few weeks, the MySci program has reached hundreds of area students, which McMahon said will hopefully spark some interest in science along the way.
“Monsanto is all about life science, and the kids at K through 2 are curious about nature and the world around them. It just seemed like a very good fit to bring that into the classroom in a very meaningful and powerful way,” she said.
“My favorite part of the vehicle is the representation of the Missouri limestone caves, complete with stalagmites and stalagtites and other cave formations. It’s a very high-quality replica, and it brings in aspects of the natural Missouri geography and features that some children might not get to visit otherwise. I really hope students come away with a spark of interest in the life sciences that stays with them.”
For more information about the MySci Investigation Station or to schedule a visit for the 2006-2007 school year, contact scheduling coordinator Diane Pilla at (314) 289-1448 or via email at dpilla@slsc.org.