2019 Annual Report

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OUTREACH & EQUITY The Society is committed to increasing the number of young people who have access to In the five years since the Society signifi- cantly expanded its Outreach & Equity work to provide more students with the oppor- tunity to engage with STEM, a community has begun to emerge among the numerous teachers who have participated in the Society’s programs.

Two of the students who went through our Advocate program turned out to be our valedictorian and salutatorian this year! Both of them have chosen STEM majors for their college next year! This is so exciting for the kids in this community!” RENY MATHEW Greyhills Academy High School Tuba City, Arizona

engaging scientific content and to supporting them in entering STEM research competitions that can propel them into STEM studies and careers.

TURNING OVER A NEW LEAF A student at Greyhills Academy in Tuba City, Ariz., analyzes leaf samples using the colorimeter her teacher, Reny Mathew, purchased with her STEM Research Grant from the Society. Reny is part of the Society’s Advocate Program and mentors American Indian students in entering STEM research competitions.

FUELING COMPETITION Amy Melby, who has taught science at Yuma High School in Colora- do for the last 12 years, received a $4,000 STEM Research Grant from the Society in 2019 to purchase new equip- ment—an autoclave, a chronograph, and gel electrophoresis equip- ment, shown here.

DRAWING INSPIRATION Andrea Distelhurst, a biology teacher in Bradenton, Fla., uses Science News articles to excite her students about new research ideas. She learned about the Society’s High School Research Teachers Conference through her participation in SN HS and attended the conference in 2017 and 2019.

SETTING AN EXAMPLE Ana Humphrey’s success at Regeneron STS has spurred greater interest in research at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. Her teacher, Shawn Lowe, is able to engage this large, diverse set of students thanks to equipment purchased with a STEM Research Grant provided by the Society.

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