National Institute of General Medical Sciences 5R25GM142070-05

ASSET: Expanding and Sustaining Hands-on Science in K-12 Classrooms using Tetrahymena

The award supports the expansion and sustainability of the ASSET program, which provides hands-on biology education using Tetrahymena to K-12 students. It includes curriculum development, teacher training, and outreach to diverse populations, transitioning program functions to Washington University to enhance STEM education equity and reach.

Description

This proposal builds on an existing infrastructure of the ASSET program (Advancing Secondary Science Education through Tetrahymena), to generate new teaching materials, reach new student populations, and ensure sustainability of the program by transitioning its overall functions from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York to Washington University in St. Louis. The program teaches core biology content to primary, middle, and high school students using Tetrahymena, a single-celled organism, providing a platform for teaching cell biology, genetics, evolution, and more. It includes stand-alone laboratory kits, co-curricular modules addressing science and society, and supports teachers in rural, suburban, and urban districts. The new proposal expands offerings with new materials and modules in math, informatics, bioinformatics, and data science, and adapts the program to new populations through Washington University's Institute for School Partnership.

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