Our Program
The S.E.E.D. STEM program (Science, Exploration, Education and Discovery), is a STEM-based biological sciences program developed for middle school and high school-aged students. The need to keep pace with scientific innovation is critical to our youth and the S.E.E.D. STEM program is designed to expose students to current concepts and technologies used in academic and industry laboratories by bringing scientific workshops directly into their communities. The goal of the program is to increase scientific awareness in the community, develop future leaders in an area of ever-increasing need, and provide a pipeline to careers in science.
Our after-school program is a one-hour session conducted on location in partnership with schools and community-based organizations. The program is designed to complement classroom learning and teaching for 6-8th graders. The hands-on course gives students the opportunity to explore topics such as DNA structure and function, and forensics in a fun and interactive way!
Summer 2023 marked the launch of the S.E.E.D STEM Innovators Program with a select group of our 8th grade students participating in real-world lab experiences on location at Weill Cornell Medical College. In collaboration with Dr. Monica Guzman, Associate Professor of Pharmacology in Medicine, the students were exposed to cutting-edge technology and advanced scientific experiments that are normally taught at the graduate school level.
Our students were selected based on their performance and demonstrated leadership during the 2022-2023 academic year. They served as a focus group to provide insight on how to enhance the overall S.E.E.D. STEM program and were paid a stipend to participate in the summer session.
“The S.E.E.D. STEM program provides a space for middle school students to discover and experience science. Their hands-on curriculum allows students to imagine themselves as scientists and consider that a feasible career for their future,” said Monica Guzman, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology in Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College.
Since inception, the S.E.E.D. STEM program has provided 657 hours of supplemental science instruction through our after-school and summer innovators programs. The S.E.E.D. STEM laboratory experience provides grade-appropriate learning for middle school students where they’re able to work in a hands-on scientific environment. Each module below allows our students to become actively engaged and explore research concepts that are applied in actual academic and industry laboratories.
MODULE I: SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND MICROSCOPY
Introduction to the fundamental concepts of hypothesis generation, observations and independent vs dependent variables, and hands on application of the scientific method to experimental design. We teach our students microscope operation, slide specimen preparation and detailed observation of cellular structures and mammalian tissues.
MODULE II: DNA STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Our students will isolate DNA from plant and mammalian tissue and construct 3D models of the double helix. They explore the central dogma of molecular biology, learning how DNA and RNA are translated into proteins and how mutations can lead to diseases. Through these interactive experiences, they gain a deeper appreciation for how genes determine inherited traits and the critical role of proteins in biological functions.
MODULE III: MICROBIOLOGY AND GENETIC ENGINEERING
Our students will learn how to harvest bacterial colonies and characterize various bacterial strains for clinical diagnosis and antibiotic sensitivity testing. We will also introduce our students to micro pipetting, an essential tool in the molecular biology lab, and conduct experiments with bacterial transformation.
MODULE IV: BIOTECHNOLOGY AND FORENSICS
We introduce our students to fundamental biotechnology techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ELISA and gel electrophoresis. We will apply these learnings with investigative techniques and use DNA evidence at the scene of a crime.