The Yap States in Micronesia, an archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean, is renowned for its vibrant community and cultural heritage. For this engagement activity, the focal group consisted of elementary school teachers from across the Yap States. The workshop was held at the Yap Department of Education (DOE) in partnership with the University of Guam.
When I discovered the field of synthetic biology and a lab to work in my first year of college, I thought I was the luckiest person alive. I couldn’t believe that I could participate in building new knowledge.
Science is precious, Science is present in everything in the life, at all stages. Life is not the same for everyone, for various reasons, place of birth, upbringing, social status, economic status, languages, among other factors. Not everyone has the facility to have Science in their hands or in their life with accessibility.
My journey in science communication initially began as a way to build my confidence in talking about public health back when I was in training to become a veterinarian. Now, it has developed into a genuine passion for creating fun and engaging ways to inspire young students in science. Science communication and outreach have become significant aspects of my journey, particularly through grassroots community engagement initiatives.
One of the most impactful activities I participated in was a community outreach aimed at high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. The goal was to inspire these young minds by demonstrating the fascinating world of biochemical research.
When I started my PhD in Oncological Sciences, I had an optimistic assumption that my graduate work would quickly materialize into something that could impact the health and wellbeing of patients. However, humbled by the slow progress of research, I quickly realized that a research discovery amounting to a significant societal impact can require a marathon of meticulous work in a scientist’s lifetime.
My name is Natalia Tapia-Arellano, and I currently work as a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Utah. I chose to work with STEMCAP (STEM Community Alliance Program), which focuses on providing STEM education opportunities to incarcerated youth in Utah.
As an advocate for STEM education and women’s empowerment, I was thrilled to participate alongside Annabel in the SheTech Explorer Day event, where we had the opportunity to present a booth about undergraduate and graduate school to a diverse group of 3700 girls spanning grades 6 to 12. Held at the spacious Mountain American Exposition Center, the venue buzzed with excitement and anticipation as girls from various backgrounds gathered to explore the world of technology.
Just before the Covid-19 pandemic brought our world to a halt, I took a one-day weaving class at my local yarn shop. The next day I bought a loom. Though an experienced knitter, it was a somewhat impulsive purchase to quell curiosities I had about the art. Little did I know the pandemic would soon provide a lot of time to experiment. What I didn’t anticipate was how challenging it would be to do that experimentation without access to support from a community of fellow weavers.
Neurodivergent children and young adults can struggle with mainstream school requirements. For example, people with attention-deficit disorder (ADD) or Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will often have a special skill or focus. They can excel in this subject at school, more so than other students, but further education requires students to have a well-rounded skill set, which can exclude neurodivergent people from studying their passion further.
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