Written by Cecilia Haymin-Kim, CBR-SBME summer student alum (left)
Edited by Alexandra Witt, MSc Student, Pryzdial Lab (right)
The COVID-19 pandemic and the search for vaccines and treatments have shown us both the power of science as well as the need for a diverse and talented scientific community. While many events were understandably cancelled during the pandemic, one important event went virtual to reach its audience: Science World’s annual Girls and STEAM event.
This November marks the one-year anniversary of a synthetic biology workshop created by the Centre for Blood Research (CBR) and SFU’s Science AL!VE for the 2020 Girls and STEAM event. Held virtually on November 7th 2020, this event invited girls aged 11-13 to attend real-time workshops on scientific topics, from artificial intelligence and game development, to marine life, to coding for 3D animation. It also included a timely conversation about community healthcare and ways to reduce the spread of viruses. The event featured mentorship workshops from influential professionals in STEAM fields, as well as keynote speeches from BC’s provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, and marine biologist Dr. Sarika Cullis-Suzuki.
In partnership with Science AL!VE, the workshop was developed by the CBR Outreach Committee, who are actively engaged in sharing their passion for science and inspiring the public. The workshop, entitled “Synthetic Biology: Using DNA for New Applications,” included a video, instructional booklet and worksheet, with the aim of helping participants understand what DNA is, including its building blocks and role in creating life. It was the CBR’s third year participating in the event.
- Watch the video: “Synthetic Biology: Using DNA for New Applications”
- Read the educational booklet “How to Be a Biobuilder”
- Create your own synthetic “superhero cell” or organism with the BioBuilder Activity Worksheet
The success of the Outreach Committee’s workshop and video was a result of its hardworking and dedicated members. This included the script writers who created scripts for the video in a scientifically sound and accessible way, the visual creators who developed fun and engaging images and animations for the video, and the presenters who brought the script to life and filmed themselves to create the video.
CBR Outreach member and PhD Candidate Sreeparna Vappala from the Kizhakkedathu Lab, who presented in the video, shares her thoughts on developing a virtual workshop: “Our first virtual attempt at the Girls and STEAM event was a great learning experience, especially from a video production standpoint. Due to COVID restrictions, all presenters had to film their sections of the video on their own. I had a lot of fun filming the video, playing with camera angles, location, and delivery. Thankfully, behind-the-scenes editing allowed the team to come together virtually and put together a cohesive video.”
Sreeparna Vappala
I had a lot of fun filming the video, playing with camera angles, location, and delivery. Thankfully, behind-the-scenes editing allowed the team to come together virtually and put together a cohesive video.
— Sreeparna Vappala, Kizhakkedathu Lab
Overall, the Girls and STEAM event was a fantastic way to bring together today’s scientists and scientific leaders to empower the next generation. The event was an opportunity for engaging scientific communication and helped to achieve the Outreach Committee’s goal to inspire generations through science and enhance STEAM literacy.
When asked why she enjoys outreach, Dr. Emily Park, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Multi-Scale Design Lab, shares, “The outreach program is bringing STEAM activities to students, engaging them in the wonder of science. I love working with the CBR Outreach Committee’s program because it is such a rewarding experience to share my knowledge with others and connect students, teachers, and parents with interests in STEAM.”
Dr. Emily Park
I love working with the CBR Outreach Committee’s program because it is such a rewarding experience to share my knowledge with others and connect students, teachers, and parents with interests in STEAM.
— Dr. Emily Park, Multi-Scale Design Lab
The Committee would like to thank Science World, as well as the mentors, speakers, volunteers, and facilitators for leading this successful event, especially in these unprecedented times!
Special thanks to all workshop creators: Andy Hsu, Dr. Amy Glenwright, Bronwyn Lyons, Daniel Luo, Dr. Emily Park, Eva Yap, Kelly Chessman, Kevin Gonzalez, Kristine Ho, Samuel Shin, Sreeparna Vappala, and Dr. Stefanie Mak.
Why Science Outreach?: Q&A with CBR Outreach Committee members
We spoke further with CBR Outreach members Dr. Emily Park (EP) and Sreeparna Vappala (SV) about their experiences developing the Girls and STEAM workshop and why they enjoy science outreach.
How did you contribute to the Girls and STEAM workshop?
EP: I was a script writer, so I wrote the script for actors to follow in the video. I was particularly focused on the context of the videos, making sure that the content was scientifically correct, accessible and engaging for our younger audiences.
SV: I worked with my colleagues at CBR and SFU Science AL!IVE in developing the synthetic biology workshop for the 2020 Girls and STEAM event. Additionally, I was one of the presenters of a video produced in this virtual event.
What are your thoughts about the importance of science outreach and communication?
SV: I think science outreach and communication are a fun way to give back to society. Not only do we have a responsibility to communicate our research to the public who fund and support our work, but we have an opportunity to engage future generations. I am involved with outreach to motivate the younger generation, especially girls, and capture their interest in science at a young age.
Not only do we have a responsibility to communicate our research to the public who fund and support our work, but we have an opportunity to engage future generations.
— Sreeparna Vappala, Kizhakkedathu Lab
What was most challenging about the process? How did the virtual space affect the workshop?
EP: The most challenging part in writing the script was making it accessible to high school students. Our topic this year was synthetic biology, which is a fairly advanced concept. Together, my team was able to explain the biology in simple but scientifically correct terms, making it interesting to the event participants.
The virtual space made it much more difficult to have an interactive workshop this year, since our workshops were pre-recorded videos. We would’ve hoped to get feedback from our participants and been able to tailor the workshop to better satisfy their curiosity, but we worked hard to make the video as interesting as possible.