On November 5th, the Van Hooser lab in the Biology Department hosted nine high school students from Hyde Park’s Boston Preparatory Charter Public School (BPCPS) for both a tour of the lab and an open question session about the specific goals of the lab’s research, and about science careers in general.
Boston Prep serves students from disadvantaged areas of Boston, with 76% qualifying for free and reduced price lunch and 92% being of minority racial backgrounds. As part of a rigorous educational program that seeks to prepare them for college and beyond, BPCPS sophmores visit various area businesses twice a year for hands-on learning about the careers open to them. The school has been nationally recognized for its academic excellence. It also bucks trends in the sciences — while nationwide there is a noted drop-off in interest in the sciences as students enter high school, particularly among young women, (Osborne, Simon, and Collins 2003; American Assoc. of University Women, 1992), students at Boston Prep retain a high interest in the sciences throughout their tenure there, and female students actually become more interested in the sciences in high school.
Assistant Professor Steve Van Hooser led the students through a brief introduction to life in an academic science lab and his personal career path, before discussing his lab’s focus on the visual system and the impact that basic research has on everyday life and understanding. The students then took a tour of the lab, and were able to visualize neurons under the lab’s 2-photon microscope. After the visit, Steve noted, “It was terrific to be able to talk with such promising young people and to share a little of the brain science we are doing here at Brandeis. The students asked really insightful questions about our studies, the use of animals in research, and the clinical applications of basic research. It is exciting to think about what these students will be doing in 15 years.”
Those interested in hosting a future visit from students can contact Jenn Wolff from the Van Hooser lab (jwolff at brandeis.edu), or contact Danielle Pape at BPCPS directly ( dpape at bostonprep.org (617)333-6688 ext. 126 )
