Education News

Career and life skills on display at Valley Stream North High School science research symposium

From peanut allergies to teacher burnout, these Valley Stream researchers explore a bevy of science topics.

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Valley Stream North High School senior Aleeza Dhillon stood behind a lectern dressed in a crisp gray button-down and plaid skirt. Last Thursday, rows of folding chairs filled the north end of the library, where 80 equally impeccably dressed students sat in focused silence.

“Let me start you guys off with a fun fact,” she said. “Well…not so fun, but a fact.”

Her long black ponytail swayed in sync with her head turns as she spoke. “Over a million teachers in the United States from K-12 have reported some feelings of burnout.”

To Dhillon’s left, an interactive screen lit up. The title of her presentation was spelled out in bold lettering: “Investigating the Impact of the Big 5 Personality Traits on Teacher Burnout and Job Satisfaction Among High School Educators.”

Slide by slide, Dhillon, one of a dozen senior research students, walked her high school peers through her years-long scientific investigation on how personality can affect workplace mental health, a sample of the kind of research presented at North’s annual Science Research Symposium.

 

Freshmen Kristianne Kissoon and Oren Tomlinson present the model for their project called GenGuard.
Freshmen Kristianne Kissoon and Oren Tomlinson present the model for their project called GenGuard.

Students showcase original research

For a few hours, the school library was not a library but a gathering place for science researchers to share their findings and spoiled for choice with the amount of topics one could sink their teeth into. Armed with the scientific method, students in grades nine through 12 sought answers to questions about everything from the effects of gun violence on public health to the pathology of peanut allergies.

“Students are doing authentic research projects that have never been done before,” said science teacher Mike Frazer, who co-leads the program with 9th grade science research teacher Santo DiSclafani.

The goal of the program, which began roughly 20 years ago, was to help students gain firsthand experience with scientific research and experimentation, receive professional mentorship, and learn what it means to be scientific peers and mentors.

“I’ve been teaching this program for over 20 years now,” said Frazer. “When we first started, we had five kids in the whole program. We now have 20 kids per grade.” 

Like levels in a video game, each year progressively builds the essential skills for the next, culminating in a senior-year research project guided by a practicing science professional of their choice anywhere in the world.

The most promising projects advance to compete in regional and national competitions, from Regeneron to Exploravision.  But the core focus of the program, noted Frazer, isn’t on trophy-winning.

 

Freshmen Ryley Keenan, Bridget Chen, and Patricia DelCarpine present the model for their project called The MicroCleans.
Freshmen Ryley Keenan, Bridget Chen, and Patricia DelCarpine present the model for their project called The MicroCleans.

Building skills for life

“This is the time of year when the seniors start to apply to competitions,” said Frazer. But at the end of the day, the program is about “learning the science process and learning about the responsibilities of being in our society.”

While some programs focus on an elite group of kids who stand the strongest chance of winning science competitions, noted Frazer. “Our program is not about that.”

It’s about instilling important “life skills” for all students that are easily transferable outside the lab or classroom. Holding one’s own during a public presentation, reading high-level articles, or collaborating on group projects — will benefit students for life in their career field, STEM-specific or otherwise. It’s as much about communication as it is about cooperation. Seniors are paired with a sophomore and junior mentee and serve as “in-house” mentors who act as their first resource.

“We do a symposium with the whole district at the end of the year and it’s just the seniors and that’s their big night to shine,” said Frazer but this North tradition helps all researchers get in on the collegial fun.

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