A life of science

by Ann Bauer

The first step in a lifelong pursuit of science just might be into a tub of raw tomatoes.

“I ask a group of grade school kids to line up, take off their shoes and socks, and stomp tomatoes in a plastic tub,” says Tim Kenny, education director at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, describing a course he calls “Ketchup Feet.” “They get all goopy and squish the stuff between their toes. There are screams of glee and joy and laughter. Then we force the pulp through a colander, collect the seeds, and put them in the ground. They come back a couple weeks later and see the seedlings that have come up. Because the learning is experimental, I never have to say, ‘We’re learning about the life cycle of plants.’ But that’s the outcome.”

A privately supported outreach and research center of the University, the Arboretum’s educational programs reach 55,000 children and families annually. Locally, it has become a stronghold of ecological training, fighting the misconception that plants are simply a benign part of the scenery, and introducing eager minds—from ages 3 to 100—to science through nature.

“We believe that once people understand basic scientific concepts such as photosynthesis, they’ll have an understanding of how natural earth systems work,” says Kenny. “Whether our students eventually go to work in a science-related field or simply take this knowledge with them into the voting booth, what we hope is that our education results in their being better citizens of the world.”

STEM Growth

This is just one of myriad ways the University promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (sometimes called STEM) learning throughout the entire life cycle of our state’s population. It’s also part of an initiative through the STEM Education Coalition—a collaboration of the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education—devoted to encouraging scholarship that will help fuel mammoth industries such as medicine, manufacturing, and biotech.

Nationally, this is a critical issue. Only 40 percent of U.S. high school graduates are ready for college-level math and science classes, according to a recent report by national college admissions testing firm ACT. A recent international survey found that our high school science and math scores lag behind those of other highly developed countries—at a time when the need for scientists and engineers is at a peak.

But thanks to the University and to donors, Minnesota is cultivating more “left-brain” thinkers than are many other states. The key, say educators, is to start early and introduce integrated scientific concepts to young learners

Take “Reach for the Sky,” an annual five-week camp on the White Earth Indian Reservation, supported by a combination of private donations and federal funds. When this program convened last June, 57 Native American youth in grades 4 through 8 came together with nearly 30 faculty and graduate students from the University to create model wind turbines that actually worked.

“Wind energy is important on the reservation and it’s a prime site for turbines,” says Gillian Roehrig, associate professor of science instruction and curriculum in the College of Education and Human Development. “So these kids looked at how many blades are needed, their placement, how tall the turbines should be, where they should be placed in the community—really thinking about everything from physics to sacred burial grounds.”

Sharpening Basic Tools

The University even has developed a freestanding STEM Center, housed on the St. Paul campus, to foster integrated learning and problem solving among both students and faculty.

“What we’re really interested in is how we can teach these subjects, not in silos but by weaving them together,” says Tamara Moore, assistant professor of mathematics and engineering education in the College of Education and Human Development. “Now we have an actual place where researchers can come together from all four branches of pedagogical knowledge and create rich, new curricula for students at every stage.”

According to Paul Strykowski, associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Institute of Technology, the University of Minnesota has a proud history of integrating the so-called STEM disciplines and producing great innovators.

“Here, people were thinking ahead, 75 years ago, long before STEM was dreamed up,” Strykowski says. “They put together all these different fields under the Institute of Technology. We’ve always recognized that we need to move people into the work force with an understanding of science, technology, and math.”

Today, the institute continues its mission by using gifts to bring broad-based science education to all students. There are a number of programs devoted to reaching minority students; and a recent $300,000 grant from 3M will be used to recruit and retain those who do not qualify for Pell grant funding but come from a household making less than $100,000 per year.

“Without the basic tools of math, chemistry, technology, and physics, you cannot create anything new,” says Strykowski. “These are disciplines that make better things for humankind. The people at 3M understand this. And so do we.”

Ann Bauer is a writer in Seattle.

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