Harlem
Children Society: An Experiment with K-12 Science Education
by
Sat Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
I am a research scientist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. I constantly train and teach young medical students, physicians and other personnel. As a service to the community, I began to extend my services to the public schools in Harlem, giving bright and motivated young kids an opportunity to become initiated directly into the world of science.
With that dream in mind, three years ago, I founded The ‘Harlem Children Society’, which is now recognized by the city, state and federal governments. The Society is devoted to meeting the scientific education and developmental needs of children and young adolescents living or attending school in under-resourced and under-privileged neighborhoods. Emphasis is placed on the pursuit of higher education and career achievement by providing knowledge, skills, guidance and understanding
High school students in under-resourced neighborhoods were interviewed and selected for projects which were funded by a grant from the American Chemical Society.
All the students were given a thorough background in the sciences related to the projects. Other scientists and researchers gave them frequent lectures and tutorials. They were given rigorous training relating to the techniques, safe and proper handling of devices, instruments, chemicals & biological agents relating to the ongoing projects.
At the end of the summer, the students were required to summarize their work and present their results in the laboratory and were encouraged to compete with other students at several regional and national science conferences and competitions.
Among their many accomplishments were: Silver Medal Winner in Medicine & Health in Hudson County Science Fair, The United States Army, Navy, & Air Force Certificate of Achievements Award, 1st place in New Jersey Biomedical Cancer Research Symposium at Rider. Two of the students are presently attending Rutgers and Dartmouth University and two students were accepted at seven year combined undergraduate and medical schools at UMDNJ and Swarthmore University.
This year we have received funding to support nine students as interns in other laboratories and institutions in the city like Columbia University.#