Bringing lab skills to Aiken County middle schools, 17 Aiken County Career and Technology biomedicine students were recognized nationally by Project Lead The Way for their service and community impact.
Project Lead the Way is a curriculum designed for college and career readiness. The program focuses on STEM and other CTE fields to use real-world and problem-solving skills in the classroom with project-based instruction.
Dr. Christie Palladino, and her biomedicine students created a lab program where CTE Students helped teach Middle School students how to examine hair follicles underneath a microscope. The outreach didn’t stop there, with CTE students continuing their community impact by participating in events like 8th Grade Career Day and Seed Day at USC Aiken. Over 10,000 students district-wide were able to feel the impact of the biomedicine project.
“You might not realize just how much impact you have when you're taking that student by the hand, and you're helping them learn how to focus that microscope, or you're showing them how to pipe that DNA in that pipette, a really small space,” Dr. Christie Palladino shared with her students. “You are making an impact in lives around you, and you will continue to do that throughout your careers. And I'm so proud of you, and we all will just watch you continue to make that impact and see those ripples.”
“For many of these students, this was their first opportunity to look through our microscopes at their very own specimen, their hair. You could immediately see their enthusiasm as they discover more about their hair,” Lalisa Folk, a 6th grade science teacher at Aiken Intermediate shared. “Experiences like this bring science to life in ways that textbooks alone cannot. Beyond learning scientific skills, the lab encouraged students to ask questions, think critically, and work collaboratively with their peers. It also helped them connect classroom lessons to real world scientific investigations and discoveries. Most importantly, the outreach lab inspired curiosity and confidence. Activities like these can spark a lasting interest in science, technology and exploration.”
Students were presented with medals and PLTW backpacks complete with free items during a reception on Friday, May 15 at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center.
“What you all have done is such a testament to Aiken County Career and Technology Center, and what you've done for the students at the middle school, it's just really powerful.,” Katie Minihan, Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at Project Lead the Way said. “I think it's important to note that you all came up with a problem that was localized, that you knew you could make an impact on, that you used collaboration, creativity, problem solving, and it had purpose. We heard from the teacher at the middle school just about how impactful it is for those students. We know those students are going to be coming here, and they're going to be changing lives, just like you're going to continue to change lives.”
“It's just so gratifying to help the younger kids, and to see their eyes light up, when they find something under microscope that they've never seen before, or they come up to you and say ‘Thank you for helping,’ and it just makes you feels so good, and it just makes them feel so excited.” Angelina Lewis, 11th grader at South Aiken High School said.
“Anytime people start fussing about young people and young kids these days, instead of arguing with them, I tell them, come to my school, I want to take you to a lab. I want to take you to a shop. I want to take you to a classroom,” Aiken County Career and Technology Center principal David Harris said. “I promise you your attitude about young people won't be the same. You guys are future leaders.”
