The Tulane University Center for K-12 STEM Education offers a number of ways for local students to explore science disciplines. The center’s programming caters to all ages and includes summer courses, robotics competitions, science fairs and events such as Girls in STEM at Tulane and Boys at Tulane in STEM that recruit Tulane University student volunteers.
At the heart of the program is the center’s director, Michelle Sanchez, a senior professor in the engineering department.
The center was small when Sanchez became involved.
“When we first started, I was doing everything. I was taking the applications. I was accepting the students … and I was getting phone calls at midnight because something happened,” Sanchez said. “I had my hand in everything, and I think that has helped us grow, because I did all of that work initially. I know what it takes to make sure these programs are successful.”
The program recruits volunteers — many of whom are Tulane students — to help run and organize the events. Volunteering duties range from assisting in on-campus events, leading outreach programs in local schools and organizing science fairs and competitions. Sanchez credits these volunteers as a driving force behind the success of the events.
Swathi Katakam grew up in Louisiana alongside the K-12 program. She participated in the flagship Girls in STEM at Tulane, the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair and multiple summer courses.
“I must have been around 10, but I still remember … I got to touch a brain,” Katakam said. “It was an exposure to science in a much more hands-on way than most people get.”
Years later, as a biomedical engineering student at Tulane, she gave back to the program by participating in Sanchez’s service learning course that involved teaching elementary and middle school students.
Katakam credits her experience with the center’s programming for helping her develop communication skills she now uses in her career.
“[Teaching] takes a certain skill and a certain amount of understanding what you’re talking about in a way that you can then explain it in a much simpler … accurate [way],” Katakam said. “It really teaches you to think, ‘How do I explain this linearly in a way that makes sense to people who aren’t in my field?’”
While the K-12 STEM Center directly works with local students, its impact reaches educators, too.
Katakam said Tulane’s STEM outreach programs gave Louisiana educators hands-on STEM teaching experience amid teacher shortages and limited resources.
“In Louisiana, a lot of times you have teacher shortages. I had teachers who knew they were not ready to teach this class, but because of teaching need … they had to teach themselves,” Katakam said. “For them to have a resource where they can get professional development from a university level … is also a big impact on the quality of education.”
Sanchez shared the goal of uplifting teachers through the program with grant writing workshops, trips to the Bonnet Carre Spillway and stipends for teachers.
Sanchez said the fundamental role of teachers is to inspire the next generation.
“Reaching one teacher, on average, you’re reaching about 100 students a year … if you impact one teacher, you’re impacting thousands of students over the course of their career,” Sanchez said.
Looking ahead, Sanchez is eager to expand the program’s definition of STEM and embrace interdisciplinary fields.
“Getting kids interested in STEM can take on a lot of different meanings,” Sanchez said. “If we can broaden the kinds of career opportunities that students see … the more the merrier.”