The STEM Outreach in Schools (stemOS) program brings scientists from UT Southwestern into K-12 classrooms. This NSF-funded, IRB-approved program seeks to enrich classroom curriculum by working with our teacher partners to improve scientific curriculum content as well as to define best practices for expert-lead STEM outreach programs.

2021/2022 program | 2022/2023 program | 2023/2024 program

Spring 2024, we will focus on the 8th grade science curriculum at Uplift Williams middle school. The goal of this unit is for students to learn about the physical properties of biological tissues. We will help to enrich the curriculum by working with the classroom teacher to develop teaching and assessment materials and and providing hands-on support in the classroom for measuring mechanical properties of silly putty and springs. The goal is to improve student understanding of the physical properties of different materials and how these different properties apply to the biomechanics of the human body.

We are assessing the effect of having experts in the classroom on knowledge mastery and attitudes towards STEM field though aggregate test scores on classroom quizzes and a survey about student attitudes about STEM.

Interested? Volunteer here: https://forms.gle/ieqNE7cW3m2dRT2L6

Curriculum development: Improve your pedagogical skills!

This year, the curriculum development team helped to shape the curriculum for a unit on the physical properties of biological materials. The curriculum coordinators met with our classroom teacher in April and coordinated with the curriculum development team to modify the existing curriculum for a middle school classroom.

  • 2023/2024 Curriculum coordinators: Sarah Jobbins, Irvin Garza & Mikayla Eppert
  • 2023/2024 Curriculum development team: Inessa Leonovich, Valerie Rodriguez, Brandon Smith, Binnu Gangadharan, Parker Basset, Vincent Dartigue, Harini Desikan
One of the 3D printed models of the knee used in the biomechanics unit.

Logistics: Secure survey distribution and collection, coordination of classroom volunteer schedules, communication with our teacher partner, liaison with the school, distribution of information sheets, acquisition and distribution of materials to the classroom.

  • 2023/2024 Program coordination: Dominique Lagasca & Eryn Sale

Outreach in Schools: Improve your teaching skills! The Outreach coordinator will reach out to the UT Southwestern community and coordinate our visits to the classroom. The Outreach coordinator will also collect short about me video from scientist at UTSW to be shared with the students at Uplift Williams in advance of our visit.

A few of the stemOS Scientists in the Classroom with our 6th grade classroom teacher host at Uplift Williams Prep.

Come lead small groups of students through the science curriculum in the classroom!

  • 2023/2024 Outreach coordinators: Tasia Bos & Harini Desikan
  • 2023/2024 Scientists in the Classroom: Vincent Dartigue, Jeremy Brusch, Tasia Bos, Harini Desikan, Eryn Sale, Serena Corenelius, Julia Powell, Valentina Volpe, Chen Chang, Miriam Osterfield, Nicole McCuen, Jessica Alvarez.

Interested in participating? Fill out this quick survey to let us know: https://forms.gle/ieqNE7cW3m2dRT2L6

2021/2022 program | 2022/2023 program | 2023/2024 program

Questions?: E-mail Kendra Frederick at kendra.frederick@utsouthwestern.edu or Konstantin Doubrovinski at konstantin.doubrovinski@utsouthwestern.edu