Biology Department Showcases STEM Departments in “See yourself in STEM” Event to Curious Elementary Students

The Pioneer Valley STEM Network (PVSTEM), in collaboration with the Biology Department from Westfield State coordinated “See yourself in STEM”, an exploratory event in which younger students, who are part of the Academic Leadership Associate, came to campus to observe the various fields of study offered here as part of the STEM disciplines.

Taking place on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, approximately 50 children attended, from grades 4-6. The event was held from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. and kicked off with a tour of the various classrooms in the Science and Innovation Center before eating lunch at the Dining Commons. Afterwards, a brief, biology lab was conducted at Wilson Hall, where they performed a DNA extraction on a strawberry.

Candid, enthusiastic questions such as, “What’s a vertebrae?” could be heard reverberating throughout the hallway as they shuffled from one classroom to another. Kim Berman, Assistant Professor of Biology and coordinator of the event, led them as they went, answering whenever she could.

“It’s been a little chaotic,” she said when asked about the event and how she chose the individual faculties and environments to showcase. “There’s a lot to cover with STEM, so I have to be selective.”

She hopes for this particular event to be either annual or bi-annual in frequency. Sponsored by PVSTEM, this was their second consecutive year.