Today’s classes marked the beginning of a new year at the Linden STEAM Academy with Science from Scientists. Instructors Dr. Karen Allendoerfer and Ms. Dilyara Arslanova introduced themselves and the program to the students. Both Dr. Allendoerfer and Ms. Arslanova have studied neuroscience, the science of the brain. They shared their experiences working in academia and in the biotech industry working to develop new treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Then they introduced the students to SfS’s mascot, the robot Scimon(e), who helped to explain the lab safety rules that must be followed when students do SfS activities. Finally, they led the students in a puzzle-solving activity in which the students had to think like scientists and persevere in their efforts to find a solution. But once the problem had been solved, students had to incorporate new data into their model and re-solve the puzzle. This was a challenging task that demonstrated to the students the value of keeping an open mind, trying many different solutions, and collaborating with each other–qualities that are all very useful for working scientists. We are looking forward to an exciting year!
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