Local Schools Up for Adoption!

Why are University of Rochester graduate students back in fourth grade?

These volunteers are part of Adopt-a-School, a program designed to bring science resources and role models into local fourth grade classrooms. The group was created in 1990 by the Rochester Section of the American Chemical Society and is currently chaired by Katherine O’Brien. To make more outreach programs available to young chemists, the Rochester Section's Younger Chemists Committee (YCC) paired up with Adopt-a-School in 2003.

The project has taken off. This year, YCC adopted six fourth grade classrooms at James P. Duffy Elementary School (School 12) in downtown Rochester. Eighteen graduate students participate in the program. The students visit the school for one hour each month and bring topics like classification, magnetism, and chromatography to life for the fourth graders. As one volunteer stated, "Kids see that learning can be more than just reading from a book. It can be measuring water squeezed from a sponge to learn about volume, or sorting items in their own grocery store to learn about classification." The graduate students also meet monthly to discuss previous visits, prepare for the next kit, and brainstorm ways to improve their teaching strategies.

And the schools love it! Rochester YCC Chair Katie Leach says, "What impresses me the most is the way the classroom jumps to life when the kids sees us approaching. Even though we visit only once a month, the students remember our names and everything about us! The teachers appreciate how our lessons reinforce important concepts that they teach in the classroom, especially since we challenge students to think like real scientists."

Why fourth graders? According to the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP), students' achievement at the fourth grade level lays the groundwork for the rest of their science education. There is also the New York State science exam, a standardized test that fourth graders take at the end of the school year. While working with Adopt-a-School's eight science kits, students gain crucial hands-on experience in topics that directly relate to questions posed on the exam and its laboratory components.

Students aren't the only ones who benefit from the program. Because the kits are made from household items, teachers are getting great ideas for do-it-yourself science resources. The program also fosters interaction between graduate students and local chemists, and strengthens ties between the University of Rochester and the community. Best of all, volunteers, teachers, and students have a great time cultivating this creative and lively learning atmosphere.

The YCC in Rochester is continuing to grow, and there are opportunities for local chemists and for students from area colleges and universities to get involved with Adopt-a-School. Volunteers who would like to learn more about the group can contact Lisa Carlson (lcarlso2@mail.rochester.edu).