YWIB-Greater Boston: A Day of STEM Exploration at SPARK With UP Academy Dorchester

On October 20, 2023, Young Women In Bio Greater Boston participated in the UP Academy Dorchester STEM Day Experience and Expo. The event aimed to bring exposure to science through awe-inspiring, challenge-oriented experiences to spark curiosity and joy for the students. Students in the 4th through 8th grades stopped by the YWIB booth for a hands-on demonstration of a model lung with plastic bottles and balloons to simulate breathing. Students were engaged in the action and excited to find out the easy-to-build model could be assembled at home to show younger siblings!

Having students take a deep breath while we handled the model to demonstrate what was happening within their bodies resonated with the students. Students had fun guessing our trivia facts to learn how many breaths we take in a day and how many ribs are in our bodies. When the students discovered that our YWIB participants were, in fact, not teachers, they were interested in hearing more about our careers in biotech/life sciences and how the classes they are taking now could lead to a similar path someday. Based on the success of this event, we may hold a similar event next year during MA STEM Week.

Submitted by Meghan Savard