What fork in the road?
- Jenna Landsittel
- Jan 5, 2018
- 2 min read
Today we met with scientists and teachers at UCR to talk about their efforts to improve science education at the college level. Dr. Jim Burnett also demonstrated the class how one of the outreach labs that he conducts would run with highs school students. Dr. Jim's lab was well stocked with equipment that not all labs at schools have. Every student had a fully stocked lab bench, complete with a full set of pipets. This was something that I had not really seen before in any of the labs I have participated in so coming into the lab I was in a way nervous to complete the lab.
We started off with doing a simple lab that most of us had done before, even if it was in middle school and all we understood about it was that we had to rub a q-tip inside of our mouth. Throughout this lab Dr. Jim explained all of the importance of the lab and how it relates to a group of high school or middle school students. Most students public schools do not have access to labs, so one day labs like the ones of this outreach program make science more tangible for students to grasp.
Lunch with Dr. Darrel, Dr. Jason, and Dr. Jim was full of great conversation about their efforts to keep science alive in schools. Their views were very eye opening to all the job opportunities that are available to Biology and science majors, other than med-school. Before this, I was under the impression that without going to med-school or nursing school, my Biology degree would be next to worthless. Hearing about these opportunities from successful people in science was very encouraging.
Next up was the drive to the desert to spend the night at the Granite Mountain Reserve. On the way there, we stopped to see the Joshua Tree National Park. It was nothing less than breathtaking! The vastness of the desert mixed with the population of the unique Joshua Trees was an amazing site to see. Park Ranger Sarah Jane Pepper did an amazing job showing our group everything she loved about the desert life.
The night ended on a humorous note with our group getting lost on the "un-descript" desert paths. WHAT FORK IN THE ROAD?!? I will remember this night and the memories made on that desert path for a life time! Xoxo.
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