Using forensic evidence to solve a mystery, extracting the DNA from a strawberry and analyzing the SPF of sunscreen are just some of the activities middle and high school students from schools across northeastern Pennsylvania have been able to access due to the Science in Motion (SIM) program hosted by Wilkes University.
Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, SIM is dedicated to enhancing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education by providing schools with lab supplies and equipment at no cost. Wilkes, one of the 10 institutions across the state that hosts Science in Motion, serves middle and high schools within 60 miles of the University.
With over 150 lab offerings covering topics across biology, chemistry and physics, Wilkes’ SIM program provides students with hands-on labs that teachers could not afford or provide without the help of the program.
“The students love the hands-on experiences and have become better learners as a result,” said Ann Rood, MS ’‘00, a teacher in the Wilkes-Barre Area School District. “Raising the bar again for post-COVID learning has been a challenge but the SIM program has made that challenge a bit more attainable.”
Not only does the program provide equipment, but they also offer the option to come into schools to lead lessons. “SIM is extremely helpful,” said John Fredricks, a teacher at Dallas High School. “The staff is great to work with and our students really benefit from the program. They get to do college-level work while still in high school. This helps them succeed later in college.”
In addition to providing equipment and visiting classrooms, Wilkes’ SIM team regularly attends STEM nights at local school districts and collaborates with Parent-Teacher Associations to set up exploratory activity days and other events at schools.
Since SIM is state funded, the program relies upon legislators to continue to sustain the program through the yearly budget process. Every spring, an annual drive is held to encourage people to advocate for Science in Motion by contacting local legislators to show their support.
“The more people saying that SIM is great only betters our chances of having that continued funding year after year,” said Miquela Langan ’21, mobile education coordinator at Wilkes University.
To view all the available labs, teachers can visit the Wilkes Science in Motion website. Teachers simply need to submit a request form on the website for any supplies they wish to use in their classrooms.
