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From 2014hs.igem.org

Lambert iGEM Human Practices (Outreach)

As a grassroots organization in the state of Georgia for high school students, our iGEM Team find it pertinent that we nurture a new generation of students who are interested in science and help them keep pace with developing technologies occurring in the synthetic biology field today.

NGF Tutoring:

There are many students in our local area who are unable to receive financial and familial support for their education. We have partnered with a local organization, Next Generation Focus (NGF), to reach out to children in the area and introduce them to biology and biotechnology. Next Generation Focus provides Saturday tutoring services for economically disadvantaged students in Forsyth County and recently began a STEM program in which the second Saturday of every month is dedicated to science and technology. This year Lambert iGEM adopted two Saturdays, and members prepared short lesson plans for elementary school students to help expose them to a field they have never known through crafts, games, and team activities.

Whitlow Elementary:

As part of iGEM’s goal to expand the ideas of biotechnology in the community, a group of iGEM students participated at the annual STEM Night at Whitlow Elementary. Here a diverse collection of subjects were discussed and iGEM was able to demonstrate common biotechnology applications to young children. The children were amazed and demonstrated curiosity in the synthetic biotechnology field. We demonstrated how a micropipette is used and the miniscule volume that is measured by them. Furthermore, a gel electrophoresis was set up to show some of the unique apparatus we work with. Parents attending were able to gain an understanding of the goals our team had set as well as the objectives of iGEM as a whole, and as a result Lambert iGEM has garnered recognition in the community as a well-developed club that has been able to accomplish admirable feats just a year after its inauguration.