<Back


Center for the Science and Engineering of Materials (CSEM) Materials Partnership and PREM Program Establish Broader Impacts Activity as a Component of Summer Research Program

CSULA Students at Sally Ride Festival

During the summer 2006 retreat of CSEM Materials Partnership (CSEM MP) and Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials (PREM) research students from California State University Los Angeles (CSULA) decided to establish a broader impacts activity as part of their overall commitment to the summer research program. They were very interested in finding a way they could give something back to the community where they grew up and went to school.

The students were responsible for planning and hosting a community event that would be held at CSULA and would serve underrepresented students from the East Los Angeles community. The students decided to sponsor an activities table and present two workshops at a Fall 2006 Sally Ride Science Festival hosted by CSULA. In order to prepare for the event CSEM MP and PREM students attended an American Chemical Society (ACS) hosted Kids & Chemistry outreach training workshop at Los Angeles City College (LACC).

ACS Kids & Chemistry Training at LACC

At the festival, they chose to present an inquiry-based materials science activity on the strength of pasta. During informal post-event debriefings the CSULA students commented that they were challenged by several of the questions posed by the participants. Others were very impressed by their level of enthusiasm and interest in science and engineering as a career path. The CSULA students were very adept at sharing their passion for learning. All of those interviewed agreed that the broader impacts component of the summer research program should be continued and even expanded.

Materials Science Lesson at Sally Ride Festival