LabXchange convenes a community that believes in the value of exposing K-12 students to exciting careers in STEM. Our collaborator Learning Undefeated is on a mission to bring life-changing STEM resources and experiences to under-resourced communities. In this post, we'll learn more about their work.
What's one thing LabXchange users should know about your organization? Learning Undefeated is a non-profit organization that provides life-changing STEM opportunities. Through innovative and experiential education programs for grades K-12, we are peaking interest in STEM careers, building the workforce that will drive the innovation economy, and bridging school, community, health, and business.
What's one fun fact about your organization? We have 5 mobile laboratories that have served over 200,000 students across 18 states.
What is your organization's vision for science education? Our goal is to make science accessible and exciting for all. We hope our laboratory experiences will spark student’s interest in science and give them the push they need to see themselves in a STEM career.
Who are your scientific inspirations?I had always been interested in DNA. Therefore, I was inspired by the work of Watson and Crick. Later in life, I learned of Rosalind Franklin and her contributions to their work, and was surprised that I had never heard of her. Her work in a male dominated field, and her often overlooked scientific contributions, inspired me to pursue science and to help other women join the field.What is the first science experiment you remember performing?I remember my first science fair project from elementary school was about the effect of air pressure on a ball’s ability to roll far distances. At the time, I was very interested in soccer and noticed that some passes were easier depending on the ball we were using. I remember proposing the idea to my science teacher, saying that I would kick the ball the same way each time. Instead, my teacher pushed me to find a better way to control the force on the ball. With that push, I was able to set up a ramp to roll the ball down each time. While I don’t remember much of the results or how the experiment went, I do remember the process of finding a question relevant to me and working my way through the scientific method.
Tell us what motivates you to continue creating your amazing content!We are always looking to make education more equitable by bringing science to under-resourced schools and communities. Though we normally do that with our mobile labs, the pandemic has allowed us to expand our reach by providing digital resources as well. We know that these types of resources have the potential to help more students and teachers as hybrid and digital learning continues. And we want to help as best we can.
What's your favorite science joke?I'm partial to this one, in honor of Mole Day, which commemorates Avogadro's Number!
Do you want to check out Learning Undefeated resources on LabXchange? Visit their collaborator page. Who are the LabXchange content collaborators? View our growing list of content collaborators here.
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