System-impacted youth have poorer educational outcomes than their peers, particularly in STEM courses. Science is best taught through hands-on experiments, yet most science curriculums within prisons do not include these learning opportunities. To address the lack of hands-on science education in carceral facilities, we developed Science Unlocked, a series of monthly hands-on science demonstrations offered to students at the Youth Services Center, a youth correctional facility in DC.

 Microscopy: There’s an entire realm of life too tiny for the naked eye to see. In conjunction with Science With Us, we bring in laboratory microscopes and help students prepare and view samples like their own cheek cells, yeast, plant and flower cells, and even the cool critters floating around in pond-water! 

Computer science: We have developed innovative computer-free methodologies to teach students programming principles without needing to write a single line of code. Meet Wiffle, our waffle-making “robot”. Wiffle is great at making waffles, but only once you’ve programmed him. By programming Wiffle, students learn about computer science concepts like variables, methods, functions, conditionals, loops, and abstraction! These offline lessons are followed up with programming exercises in Scratch.

Genetics: What makes each of us who we are? What makes us unique and what makes us similar? Our physical and personal characteristics can be described in part by genes, or bits of DNA that are expressed in the form of proteins via RNA. To illustrate this process, we run a three-part series where students extract DNA from strawberries, learn how DNA differences can be seen via gel electrophoresis, and (via a partnership with miniPCR) visualize how DNA is turned into RNA and then proteins inside cells!

Chemistry: Chemical reactions occur when the bonds between atoms are shifted. Via a suite of innovative chemistry demonstrations, we teach students about atoms, elements, and molecules, and highlight the power of chemistry to create new compounds and reactions! 

Physics/Engineering: Energy is neither created or destroyed–it merely changes form. To illustrate this concept, as well as engineering design principles, we help students leverage the power of magnetism to build their own speaker! Via their speakers, students convert electrical energy into magnetism and then vibrational energy, allowing them to listen to music on an electronic speaker they built themselves.

Scientific speaker series: With the aim of connecting our students to the diverse careers in STEM, we are developing a science speaker series, where DC-based science professionals speak with students about their careers and their educational journeys. These talks highlight the diverse career opportunities available to STEM graduates–academia, industry, science communication, startups–and connect the science students learn in the classroom to future career trajectories. 

The Science Unlocked Volunteers

The Science Unlocked Curriculum was created by two PGP volunteers - Anagha Krishnan and Hannah Dada, in collaboration with the PGP staff in the DC Regional Office and the Puttkammer Center. 

Anagha Krishnan is a PhD candidate in computational biology at the National Cancer Institute and the University of Oxford. Anagha joined the Petey Greene Program as a volunteer tutor at the DC Youth Services Center (YSC) in 2021. Inspired by her conversations with students, Anagha teamed up with Hannah to develop Science Unlocked, the first-ever series of hands-on science demonstrations at the YSC. A passionate science educator, Anagha has founded science outreach organizations that have been recognized by the Clinton Foundation, Google, and Research!America. She is thrilled to bring this expertise to the Petey Greene team!

Hannah Dada is an MD/PhD student motivated by discovery and improving outcomes in disadvantaged communities. Hailing from a low-income household, she is passionate about mentorship in underrepresented communities, especially in STEM education. She has diligently worked to illuminate the disturbing disparities in underprivileged communities by creating curricula that teaches big science questions to low-income students in an accessible manner. She is hyper attentive to the damaging effects of prison and the justice system in her community and is determined to reduce the education achievement gap in carceral spaces. She is excited to introduce science education and discovery to underrepresented minorities, including incarcerated youth. She developed Science Unlocked with her classmate, Anagha Krishnan, to provide young people detained at the YSC correctional facility in Washington D.C. an avenue to not only learn about science but also be excited about science through hands-on demonstrations.