Mowa

by BRITTANY PENLAND
News Reporter

The science department at Appalachian State University has created a free, yearlong, after-school science enrichment program called AppalSEED Academy for local high school students.

The AppalSEED Academy, now in its second year of operation, is accepting applications for fall 2010 which must be received by March 6.

Targeting home school and public high school students in northwestern North Carolina, the program encourages minority and low-income students to apply.

“We try as much as possible to help them see the connection with science and everyday life in the mountains,” AppalSEED faculty member and Assistant Biology Professor Chishimba N. Mowa said. “We hope that they can see that science actually is a useful tool to solve normal society problems.”

From September through April, participants will work closely with four Appalachian scientists and a few Appalachian student aids to learn about chemistry, eco-toxicology, microscopy and biomedical science.

Students will begin the course in preparation to work in research laboratories by learning simple basics such as common safety, how to develop a hypothesis and what the metric system is, Mowa said.

They will also make rotations through different laboratories to discover what parts of science interest them the most.

By January, participants will choose one laboratory to be stationed in and will work on Appalachian’s research projects.

AppalSEED faculty and Assistant Professor of Biology Shea R. Tuberty said participants will gain hands-on experience by going out into the field and taking samples of the soil, water, fish and sewage.

Students will also learn about topics ranging from how to extract DNA and RNA and quantify it to biodiesel production.

“I think it will have an effect on [the students],” Tuberty said. “The kids who come regularly are really excited about it. They come in and they are just ready to get their hands on it.”

The philosophy of the program is based on self-efficacy, Mowa said, and “quite simply means when a person discovers that they can do some task, especially a complex task, that discovery helps their confidence to go up and that rise in confidence will spill over into other areas.”

The enrichment program is competitive and awards 20 students the opportunity to participate.

Once enrolled in the academy, AppalSEED will be held once a week on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

For students in the Hickory area, transportation will be provided immediately following the regular school day and students will be served dinner in the cafeteria before attending AppalSEED classes.

AppalSEED is sponsored by Burroughs Wellcome Fund, North Carolina Department of Education and Appalachian State University, and is free of charge for participants.

Mowa estimates the program would potentially cost between $4,000 and $5,000 per child if the grant were not in place.

“The goal, and I think we are reaching it, is that some of these kids are going to view a career in science as a good option,” Tuberty said.

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