The Life Sciences Learning Center: An Evolving Model for a Sustainable STEM Outreach Program

Abstract

The Life Sciences Learning Center (LSLC) is a hands-on science outreach center located at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (UR-SMD) in Rochester, NY. The LSLC provides hands-on, case-based learning to boost science literacy and increase enthusiasm toward science learning. The LSLC offers on-site and in-school programs for secondary students (grades 6-12) and has developed a wide variety of online curriculum materials that can be used in science classrooms and informal education settings. The LSLC is a model for sustainability with over 20 years of funding through a combination of sources including numerous grant awards from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations. The LSLC was awarded its first of five NIH Science Education Partnership Awards (SEPA) in 1998, which would prove to be a key funding source for sustainability. The LSLC has widely disseminated its curriculum materials nationwide through teacher professional development programs and online. An ongoing partnership with Science Take-Out has led to further dissemination of LSLC’s curriculum materials and has strengthened LSLC’s model for curriculum development and evaluation. The LSLC has evolved over the years to meet the changing needs of teachers and their students and the increased demands for hands-on, inquiry-based learning that focuses on real-life issues in STEM.