In Fall 2016, Adirondack Research Dr. Jacob Wickham, adjunct Rutgers professor and Managing Editor of the Integrative Zoology Journal at the Institute of Zoology, and the Yew Chung International School of Beijing in Beijing, China to develop a dynamic and engaging science curriculum suitable for elementary school children. Over the course of the 2016-17 school year, Dr. Wickham functioned as “Scientist-in-Residence” at the school, acting as a resource for students of all ages for information on careers in science and specific scientific concepts. Dr. Wickham hoped that his presence would encourage students to consider natural science intertwined with life, thus “humanizing the profession of being a scientist.”
Dr. Wickham designed science curricula classes for students in early childhood education to age 13 that got students studying nature and various insect life. Adirondack Research developed new outreach materials for the school highlighting the new science program partnership with Adirondack Research.
The curriculum, which we are working on expanding to other elementary schools in China, features hands-on activities to get students engaged with the outdoors from an early age. Dr. Wickham also promoted local libraries and parks as resources for young students interested in science. Our mission going forward is to share our strategies with other schools in an effort to inspire a lifelong fascination with science and the natural world in as many students as possible.
