Project Exploration Blog

This is what the future of science looks like!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009 was not really an exceptional day – unless you count having a glimpse through a window onto a world often unknown, rarely understood: What does it take to change the face of science? We got a sighting of it at Project Exploration’s Senior Celebration, held at the Garfield Park Conservatory. We graduated 38 seniors this year from 17 Chicago Public High Schools.

Our graduates are worth noting. Most of Project Exploration’s 300+ students come from schools where graduation isn’t a given. 12,000 students drop out of Chicago Public Schools every year. Not sure how or why this could be possible? A current Chicago Public Radio series, “50/50: The odds of graduating” offers a rich ’soundshot’ of what the high school experience is like for thousands of kids in Chicago.  Meanwhile, reports released the last few weeks highlight more broadly some less obvious, but equally distressing issues: an expectations gap on the part of some teachers, and the summer summer “slide” – learning “loss” that occurs disporportionately for students whose families can’t afford to pay for summer enrichment experiences.

At Project Exploration we work to foster long term relationships with our students; we help them develop relationships with scientists and each other; we offer our programs for free – including multi-week summer immersion science expeditions to Wyoming, South Dakota and Montana. And we’re here to help them not only GET involved with science, but also stay involved with science.

Gathering with dozens of students who come from backgrounds least likely to be involved with science (because of their socioeconomic status, their academic achievement, their gender or their racial background) for an evening was a treat. It was also educational; we had a special chance to hear from students about how meaningful experiences with science changed their outlook on life and their academic aspirations.

As they received their certificates our seniors shared stories from their lives. Two of the graduates had missed two or three months of school and needed to make up work in a very short time frame in order to be promoted; other students struggled with being curious in environments where asking questions was less than appreciated. And many of them wrestled with what it might mean for them to actually try to go to college. For some these are active questions.

What we sometimes forget is that our students are not the only ones on their journeys. That night we heard from parents. One mother told us what it was like to let her daughter apply for our All Girls Expedition to Yellowstone only to realize later that Yellowstone was out of state (”REALLY far away!”). Another mother talked about what it has been like for her to have children with us since we opened our doors nearly nine years ago.

Project Exploration adventures into the world of science and discovery is really as much about discovering ourselves and others as it is about helping students discover the world around them.

And herein lies the irony of the investments being made in recruting and retaining underrepresented populations to science; and in work focused on closing the “achievement gap.” At the end of the day, it may not be about the science, or the academics, at all. But there is more at stake than just upping the graduation statistics. And if we listen to students (and parents) we can learn a lot about what are the most worthwhile lessons.

Here are a few quotes from our evening’s keynote speaker, Corzail, who just completed his first year at Cheney University as a biology major. A graduate from Chicago’s Kenwood High School, Corzail started his relationship with Project Exploration in 7th grade.

“A key [highlight of my high school career] was attaining a 3.6 GPA by my sophomore year. But one of my major downfalls was not keeping it that way… The Big Transition started once I stepped foot onto Cheney University. I realized I had made one good deicison, which was deciding on college…

One of the biggest mistakes I made my first year was mistaking maturity with selfishness… I started off college thinking I could be successful on my own…I didn’t realize how selfish I was being by not using the library, talking to teachers and developing a relationship with my advisor. So if you go to college thinking that you’re on your own, you will be…

You must remember a “closed mouth never gets fed.” Don’t forget about your community partners such as Project Exploration. Knowing how helpful they were while in high school, you won’t be disappointed once you’re in college. From scholarship opportunities to letters of recommendation, they are really here to help you. Keep Project Exploration in your “fave five” once you make the big transition. Always remember you’re never too grown to ask for help.”

I don’t think any of us who work for equity and access in education could ask for more than being recommended as a “fav five.” If we take Corzail’s reflections to heart along with the stories we heard from our graduating seniors, we might end up recalibrating how we work towards success in the struggle for education and achievement.

Here are some “fave five” suggestions based on our students’ stories:

1) create experiences where students can be known – students want to be known for what they like and are curious about as well as “what they can do.” It took a while, sometimes years, for our graduating seniors to move into the driver’s seat of their educational pursuits. But they got there – over time. Supporting students in terms of their potential and having a vision for their long term futures is critical, particularly during out-of-school programming.

2) stick with students – if they seem interested in something constructive which broadens their horizons, support them to continue those kinds of experiences, even if it’s not clear what the end professional result will be. One story we hear from students is that they find they MIGHT be interested in something but they’re not sure – and there’s no real way to find out. Science programs during the summer are nearly always “one shot deals” – fleeting fun for the summer, if you can score a ticket.

3) remove the barriers, all of them - science puts up myriad barriers to participation. When it comes to after school or summer science programs many require prerequisite grade point averages, application fees or a demonstration of a student’s interest in science. These things all turn students away before they ever make it to the door. While, notably, there aren’t very many high quality, low cost experiences that give students the chance to check things out, even if they’re not interested in science (yet), those that are available bill themselves mostly as exclusive experiences only for students who already know they’re interested in science. We’re not sure this is really necessary – but we do know what the impact is on most students: they won’t consider participating.

4) be real – real work, authentic experiences, especially in science make all the difference in the world. What are questions scientists really ask? What is hard about the work, not only in academic terms but in social and emotional ones? For students who are disenfranchised from academic settings science can be particularly turned off because of the way science is portrayed as sterile, definitive and only for “smart kids.” If you work in science, or are interested in science, you know none of these things are true.

5) close the gap – too many students, parents and teachers feel that science is really only for kids who are going to be scientists.  Science may be the only arena in which illiteracy is accepted. We don’t expect everyone who learns to read and write to be a journalist or win a Pulitzer prize. We do expect them to be able to use the tools of literacy. Science has these kinds of tools too, but they’re restricted to a sliver of society – and a sliver of students in school. When it comes to thinking about what “enrichment programs” are all about in summer, let’s capitalize on the wonder, imagination and creativity that science can bring out – and include it alongside art, drama and music.

We commend our students and their families parents for their hard, passionate work these many years in pursuit of a high school diploma. We thank them for helping us not only to make discoveries in the field and in the lab, but also teaching us what it takes to change the face of science – and we hope they’ll keep us in their fav fives – they are sure in ours.