FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

 

For more information, contact:

Elizabeth Maynard-Garrett, APR

(901) 448-4957

 

UTHSC Promotes Science Education in Memphis Schools

 

            MEMPHIS, TN (October 8, 2003) – Through the assistance of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, two Memphis schools kicked off the academic year by introducing their students to hands-on science activities.

The project was a collaborative effort between the university’s Center of Excellence in Genomics and Bioinformatics, the Institute for Women’s Health and the Memphis City Schools.  The LabLearner science program will allow students attending the Downtown Elementary School (K-6) and the Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (7^th grade) to experience science in fully equipped laboratories, complete with grade appropriate activity modules and lessons. Students will also be treated to guest presentations and after-school family science and health programs by UTHSC faculty and students.

            The LabLearner program, a trademark of Cognitive Learning Systems, Inc., integrates four basic components: a fully equipped lab, hands-on curriculum composed of 30 science activity modules, teacher professional development and community outreach programs.

            According to Dan Goldowitz, Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and director of the UT Center of Excellence in Genomics and Bioinformatics, “Although the center had planned to be involved primarily in education at the graduate and post-graduate levels, we realized quite quickly that there is a need to invest  in the development of future generations of scientific researchers. We feel that the earlier the student is exposed to science, the greater their enthusiasm for it and its importance in their lives.”

 

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Nancy Hardt, MD, the Methodist Healthcare Professor in Women’s Health, and director of The Institute for Women’s Health, commented, “It is our goal to expose every child to the thrill of scientific discovery, and this opportunity should be seized in elementary school. We need to develop students with laboratory experiences, as well as the critical thinking skills necessary to prepare them for the high technology workplace they’ll be entering. The LabLearner program also provides students and teachers with a strong foundation for health concepts.”

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For more information, contact:

Elizabeth Maynard-Garrett, APR

(901) 448-4957