Fan Liu

Amid a string of budget cuts that hit the public school system in Quincy, MA, lab science has become less emphasized in elementary school curriculum. But a group of high school students, bound together by their shared interest in science, mathematics, and engineering cultivated during their middle school years, is volunteering with youths to help them discover what they can learn in a laboratory.

Science Now! Program (SNP) is a student-run afterschool program that fosters interest in science, math, and engineering among Quincy Public Schools elementary school students through mentorship and hands-on experiments that help students grasp higher scientific concepts and tap into their inquisitive side. Additionally, high school students hone their leadership skills by volunteering as mentors for the children.

High school student Fan Liu is the leader of the club. Together with her peers, she is supporting the scientists and thinkers of tomorrow. Through their involvement with the program, elementary school students develop safe laboratory skills, learn to take responsibility for their research and work together in teams.

Fan recruited 15 high school students to spread their enthusiasm for science. Together, they drafted more than 20 lesson plans that were adapted and edited by science teachers. Fan also burnished her grantwriting skills by reaching out to local and national organizations for support.

In all, her work has helped steer a successful program that has educated over 40 youth in the past year at the Lincoln Hancock Elementary School in Quincy, MA. Congratulations to Fan and the Science Now! Program volunteers.