2024 Summer Outreach Event

MD Anderson Day at the Health Museum

On Thursday, July 25, 2024 our NIH R25 UPWARDS Undergraduate and High School trainees gave STEM demonstrations at The Health Museum for MD Anderson Day!  The trainees were placed in five groups and challenged to create a 20-minute STEM based educational demonstration or experiment on a topics targeting audiences of all ages but especially those in grades Kindergarten through 9th grade.  The purpose of performing these experiments and demonstrations was to educate younger generations, families, and the community by providing a better understanding of science and to spark an interest towards research. 

Four groups performed the following experiments/demonstrations:

TEAM 1: Blood Model in a Bottle

Trainees Breana, Eseohe, Nicholas B., Jessie, Nicole, and Carissa engaged K-8 students in a dynamic exploration of the components of blood and their functions. Team 1 broke down the essentials, explaining the roles of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma, while also illustrating what each component looks like. They went further, captivating the students with insights into how cancer develops in the blood, the different types of blood cancers, and the treatments used to fight them.

TEAM 2: DIY heart pump

Team 2, led by trainees Zara, Nikki, Monica, Francisco, Parshan, Martin, and Caroline, brought the heart to life in their engaging demonstration. They illustrated how this powerful muscular organ pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients while clearing away waste. The team walked students through the heart's four chambers—two atria and two ventricles—and the four valves that ensure blood flows in one direction. With a hands-on demonstration, they explained how the heart oxygenates blood and how the sinoatrial (SA) node keeps it all in rhythm by sending electrical signals. Zara and the team also highlighted the SA node's crucial role in maintaining blood pressure, circulating hormones, regulating body temperature, and supporting the immune system.

TEAM 3: DNA: Building Genetic Codes

Team 3 trainees Nicole, Sophia, Chimamanda, Justina, Raymond, Ryan, and Jiwang captivated their audience with an interactive DNA demonstration, building their own DNA models right before their eyes. Using vibrant, rainbow-colored pipe cleaners, they brought the iconic double helix structure to life, helping everyone visualize the key components of DNA. The team guided the audience through the roles of nucleotides—adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine—in a fun and engaging way. By using simple, safe materials, they created a hands-on, unforgettable learning experience that reinforced essential biology concepts.

TEAM 4:  Cellular Respiration in Action

Team 4 trainees—Nicholas L., Ana-Laura, Cindy, Ashley, and Lalithaa—took the audience on an engaging journey through the wonders of cellular respiration, one of the body's most vital processes for converting organic molecules into energy. Through an interactive, hands-on demonstration, the team explained the steps of glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation in clear, simple terms. Participants followed a "glucose molecule" along a timeline, visually experiencing its transformation as it broke down to release energy. To make the process even more tangible, the team used a CO2 detection assay, allowing the audience to witness cellular respiration happening in their own bodies, making the science come alive!        

2023 Summer Outreach Event

MD Anderson Day at the Health Museum

On Thursday, July 27, 2023 our NIH R25 UPWARDS Undergraduate and High School trainees gave STEM demonstrations at The Health Museum for MD Anderson Day!  The trainees were placed in five groups and challenged to create a 20-minute STEM based educational demonstration or experiment on a topics targeting audiences of all ages but especially those in grades Kindergarten through 9th grade.  The purpose of performing these experiments and demonstrations was to educate younger generations, families, and the community by providing a better understanding of science and to spark an interest towards research. 

The five group performed the following experiments/demonstrations:

TEAM 1: Gel Electrophoresis Chamber

Trainees Ashley, Breana, Grace and Roberto demonstrated the use of the Gel Electrophresis chamber to separate DNA.  During experimentation, macromolecules were loaded into a gel in which a current is then applied across the gel, allowing for the separation of macromolecules based on mass.  To visualize the macromolecules flowing through the gel, scientists apply either dyes or chemicals to stain the area of the gel containing the target macromolecule.

TEAM 2: Balloon car

Trainees Cindy, Jason, Rafeal, Veronica and Zara gave a brief lecture on Newton’s third law of motion then go through how to build the balloon car.  Team 2 demonstrated that there is an eqqual and opposite reaction for every action by blowing up the balloon and releasing the aire to generate force.  All the children enjoyed making their own balloon cars to keep as souvenirs. 

TEAM 3: Potato Electricity Experiment

Trainees Chien, Elsabeth, Jayden, Kate and Noora demonstrated how the basics of electricity works and changes using a potato!   The team used a potato as a battery showing that when a battery becomes part of an electric circuit a chemical reaction at the anode generates electrons (negatively charged particles) which want to travel to the cathode (positive end of the battery) but cannot travel through the electrolyte solution. Instead, the electrons travel around the circuit to reach the cathode. 

TEAM 4:  Strawberry DNA Extraction

Trainees Constantin, Maria, Natalia and Onyinye  demonstrated the concept of DNA and its role and purpose by using strawberries and household items. To visualize the concept, the team extracted DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid from a strawberry.   DNA is a long, double helix molecule whose backbone is made up of sugars and phosphates which are held together by chemical bases, Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), and Cytosine(C).         

TEAM 5: Blowing up balloon without air

Trainees Jacqueline, Justin, Mahdia and Zara used balloons to demonstrate two concepts: how to carry out a chemical reaction and how chemical compounds created in a lab have real-life purposes.  Team 5, to show that CO2 is a vital chemical compound,  synthesized CO2 gas gas made from siple household ingredients like vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate).  The balloons were inflated by the newly formed CO2 gas!  

2022 UPWARDS SUMMER Program - Poster Competition

2022 SUMMER Program - STEM Camp Outreach Activity

On Saturday, July 9, 2022 our NIH R25 UPWARDS Undergraduate and High School trainees joined our community partner Gustavia Pearls in a one-day STEM Fest at Dogan Elementary School located in the Harris County School District. The trainees were placed in six groups and challenged to create a 20-minute STEM based educational demonstration or experiment on a topics targeting grades Kindergarten through 9th grade . The purpose of performing these experiments and demonstrations was to educate younger generations, families, and the community by providing a better understanding of science and to spark an interest towards research. 

The six group performed the following experiments/demonstrations:

Group 1: Elephant Toothpaste Demonstration

Trainees Nalia, Aminah, and Ariah created a giant foaming reaction. With just a few ingredients you can make something that looks like a foamy toothpaste being squeezed from a tube- but so bug that it looks almost fit for a elephant. This demonstration was offered to STEM Fest participants in K-2nd grades.

Group 2: Lava Lamp Experiment

Trainees Alina, Loraine, and Riley allowed each STEM participant in K-2nd grades to create their very own Lava Lamp. The water and oil do not mix and the oil does not change color because the food color is water soluble. In addition, changes to density as gas is added to or taken away from water cause it to gloat up and sink down through the oil. 

Group 3: Glow Stick Demonstration

Trainees Michael, Kirsten, Ayushi, and Andrea provided a demonstration with glow sticks. Glow sticks contain two sets of chemical that when combined, create a chemical reaction called Chemiluminescence. In chemiluminescence, electrons in chemical compounds are excited, and their return to a normal level releases energy as light. This demonstration was offered to STEM Fest participants in 3rd-5th grades. 

Group 4: Magic Milk Experiment

Trainees Malena, Queen, David, and Harshini guided STEM Fest participants in the 3rd-5th grades in creating magic milk. Milk is made up of minerals, proteins, and fats. When dish soaps enters the milk the fat begins to break up. The soap molecules run around and try to attach to the fat molecules in the milk. The use of food coloring allows participants to see all of the movement taking place. 

Group 5: Dry Ice- Ice Cream Demonstration

Trainees Kate, Malcolm, and Maria S. teaches the lesson of sublimation. In scientific terms, sublimation is the transition of a substance directly from a solid state to a gas state. They pose the question of why does dry ice freeze things while demonstrating how they can create ice cream through using dry ice. After the demonstration, each participant was able to taste the ice cream product and tasty toppings were available as an added treat. This demonstration was for STEM Fest participants in the 6th-9th grades; however all participants were able to try some delicious ice cream. 

Group 6: Science in a Baggie Experiment

Trainees Jayden, Srilalitha, Maria P. and Ave introduced students to the idea of chemical reactions, to observe, experiment, and make interference and to notice changes and design experiments to explain their observations. This was all done by creating science in a baggie. This hand on experiments was offered to STEM Fest participants in the 6th-9th grades.