Courtesy of Sierra Nicole Mason and Heidi Ann Ward
PITTSBURGH, PA (PTTP) – Middle school students in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood are conducting college-level biotechnology experiments through a new partnership between the University of Pittsburgh and the Smithsonian Institution.
The program, launched in October 2023, teaches students to extract DNA and create biofuels – experiments typically reserved for university laboratories. According to Pittwire, about 10 students participated in the initial 11-session pilot program.
Dr. Cassie Quigley, chair of Pitt’s Department of Teaching, Learning and Leading, says the initiative grew from a broader vision for community science education. “I became involved about three years ago when the science endowment was providing funds to start a partnership for the Hazelwood Green Initiative,” Quigley said. “The project grew right into the community engagement center that will be housed there.”
For Quigley, the focus on biotechnology aligned naturally with her background. “My immediate role was really around science education, supporting community members thinking about science relevant to them,” she said. “The initiative was around biotechnology, which seemed like a natural fit with both my research and teaching interests.”
The program’s curriculum, developed by the Smithsonian, emphasizes local connections. “The Smithsonian has developed curriculum that is very place-based and locally situated,” Quigley explained. “For example, they have curriculum around the Potomac River and its pollution crisis, which is easily transferable to Pittsburgh’s three rivers and our own history with pollution.”
The timing aligns with Pitt’s development of BioForge, a biomanufacturing facility being built in Hazelwood. “Anchored by BioForge, the University has an exciting opportunity to inspire and empower young people through exposure to life sciences,” Heidi Ward, director of the Greater Hazelwood Neighborhood Commitment, told Pittwire.
The program was brought to Hazelwood by Carol O’Donnell, a neighborhood native who now directs the Smithsonian Science Education Center. According to Pittwire, it operates in partnership with local nonprofit Center of Life and employs Pitt undergraduate students as mentors.
Student feedback shows significant growth in understanding biotechnology concepts. The university plans to expand the program in 2025, focusing on human health applications.