3 LAUSD teachers win science laboratory upgrades
Three teachers in the Carson area recently won the Shell Science Lab Regional Challenge, a competition that encourages K-12 science teachers to find innovative ways to deliver quality lab experiences
Dan Bonn of Towne Avenue Elementary School, Brendan Leyden of Andrew Carnegie Middle School and Matthew Medrano of Carson Senior High School are among 36 regional winners across the nation who shared their approaches for a chance to win a school science lab makeover support package.
All three of those campuses are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
“I am very impressed with all that our teachers are doing in Carson to unlock students’ curiosity for STEM,” Bob Dicks, Shell Western Region Facilities manager, said in a statement. “This was particularly impressive while working with constrained resources and under the added stress of remote schooling during COVID-19.”
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and
math.
To enter the competition, which is sponsored by Shell Oil Co. and administered by the National Science Teaching Association, teachers must be located in school districts near Shell assets. They were asked to describe their school’s current laboratory resources and explain why their laboratory was in need of upgrade support, as well as how their approach to science education would benefit from the upgrades.
Their proposals then were reviewed by a panel of science educators. The regional winners each received a support package valued at $10,000 for the elementary and middle levels and $15,000 for high schools.
“During an unbelievably challenging and unprecedented year, these amazing educators went above and beyond to teach and engage their students in science. I am inspired by their resilience and resourcefulness,” said Elizabeth Allan, NSTA’s retiring president. “Congratulations to all the regional winners and best of luck on the next phase of the competition.”
Medrano’s pitch described how throughout the pandemic his students were tasked with auditing their household’s energy, water and waste consumption.
“I had my students present their findings to their family to demonstrate what areas they could improve on,” Medrano said. “It was a project that worked both in and out of the classrooms.”
Leyden, who was selected as a winner once before, will use his funding to create an outdoor laboratory station to support his students’ endeavors in tracking wildlife.
“We couldn’t keep the lab inside,” Leyden said, “so I thought, ‘Why don’t we take it outdoors?’
“We’ve been tracking hawks, sea gulls,” he added, “and even observing the abundant plant life we have around the campus.”
Bonn, who began at Towne Avenue Elementary last year, aims to completely revamp his laboratory.
“I’m basically starting from scratch,” Bonn said. “We’re looking to get new furniture, equipment and Smithsonian Science Curriculum kits.”
Bonn, Leyden and Medrano now will advance to the national phase of the competition for a chance to win an additional $5,000 of support and to attend a future NSTA National Conference on Science Education.
“The point of this is to make learning fun for students,” Medrano said. “We want students to be able to go home and explain these lessons to their families.”