WIB-San Francisco Bay Area YWIB Ambassador Capstone Project: Biochemistry Demos

On March 27, 2026, Joyce Gao, YWIB Ambassador from WIB-San Francisco Bay Area, turned an ordinary afternoon at Enlighten Chinese School into a full-on biochemistry adventure for 25 students in grades 3 through 6. Held in the main cafeteria and supported by a YWIB adult volunteer, the event was all about making science feel less like something in a textbook and more like something you can see, touch, and even taste. Joyce kicked things off with a few fun icebreakers and a quick intro to YWIB, warming everyone up and getting them ready to explore.

The main attraction was the three thrilling experiments—elephant toothpaste, color-changing butterfly pea tea, and popping boba. Before each demo, Joyce used a short slide presentation to break down the science behind what students were about to see, sparking curiosity with questions about things like light, pH, and enzymes. Right after that, she brought the concepts to life with live demonstrations that got plenty of “wow” moments from the crowd. Students jumped in as volunteers to help pour, mix, and prep the experiments right at the front of the room. They even got to touch (and in some cases taste!) the results while talking through what was happening at a molecular level. By the end of the 1.5-hour event, students were buzzing with excitement, sharing what they’d learned and chatting with the YWIB volunteer about what it’s like to be a scientist and where STEM careers could take them.

The event gave students a hands-on, memorable way to connect classroom concepts to real-life science. Through simple but fascinating experiments, they saw firsthand that biochemistry isn’t just something to study—it’s something happening all around them. Most importantly, they practiced asking questions, sharing ideas, and building confidence in their own scientific thinking.

Submitted by Jane Greenaway