Our Mission:

The mission of the Biology Core Curriculum (Biocore) Undergraduate Outreach Ambassadors is to work side by side with classroom teachers to improve science education in rural Wisconsin communities. As an extension of the UW-Madison Biocore Program, the Outreach Ambassador Program was founded in 2004 to promote hands-on scientific investigation and exploration by elementary, middle, and high school students

Goals

• enrich rural science curriculum by introducing inquiry-based science activities aligned with Wisconsin science standards
• create connections between the Outreach Ambassadors and other outreach efforts on campus
• encourage community involvement
• instill the Wisconsin Idea
• help students realize the wonders of learning science

What We Do

Classroom Visits and Activities: Individual ambassadors visit elementary, middle, and high school classrooms in rural schools to work with teachers and develop simple activities that effectively demonstrate scientific concepts. Over time, each ambassador builds a relationship with his or her students and teacher. Classroom outreach foster an atmosphere of excitement and discovery in the classroom, provides a university-associated role model for young students, and allows teachers to see their students in a new light. Previous outreach efforts involved classrooms in Wisconsin Heights Middle/High School, Black Earth Elementary, and Mazomanie Elementary schools in the Wisconsin Heights school district.

After School Science Clubs: Ambassadors may choose to develop an after school science club to provide out-of-classroom enrichment for students interested in learning more about science. Last year, Ambassador Kate Dielentheis headed an after school science club for students at Wisconsin Heights Middle School. She introduced students to body systems through engaging activities such as organ dissections and EKG readings.

Individual Tutoring: The Biocore Outreach Ambassadors also reach out to students in the community to enhance science education through one-on-one instruction.

Family Fun Science Nights: Science nights provide an avenue for whole-community involvement in science education. This two hour event features numerous “exploration stations” with simple experiments that engage students, their family, and teachers in hands-on, exploratory science. Each booth encourages children to ask and answer their own questions in order to understand a scientific problem. Science Nights are also an opportunity for the Ambassadors to partner with other science outreach programs on campus, such as Biotrek. This Science Outreach Program engages the public in the outreach mission of the University by providing workshops in the UW Biotechnology Center and throughout the state. In November 2006, Black Earth Elementary school hosted Family Fun Science Night, an event that drew over 150 participants from the Wisconsin Heights District.

Summer Science Camp: Last summer, the Biocore Outreach Ambassadors partnered with UW professors, graduate students from the Biology Outreach Club, and public school teachers to develop a week-long, inquiry based day camp for fourth through twelfth grade students in the Wisconsin Heights district. Students worked in small groups to investigate original questions centered on prairies, streams, human anatomy, or molecular biology.

The History of The Biocore Outreach Ambassadors (read more)

Date	Event
May 2004	First Ambassadors Annika and Allison are awarded the Wisconsin Idea Fellowship (WIF) from the Morgridge Center for Public Service.
November 2004	Annika and Allison introduce the scientific method to Wisconsin Heights and Hayward High Schools.
December 2004	Annika and Allison meet with the Wisconsin Heights Superintendant to discuss inquiry-based science curricula.
Spring 2005	New Outreach Ambassadors, Joel and Caitlin, are hired by the Madison School Board of Education to teach science to a gifted and talented elementary student.
Spring/Fall 2005	Joel and Caitlin teach the Diversity of Life, Force and Motion, Weather, Climates, and Environments.
Spring 2006	Joel and Caitlin continue outreach activities and recruit new members to the Outreach Ambassadors.
Spring 2006	Ambassadors meet with Wisconsin Heights principal and elementary teachers to propose activities to enrich early rural science education and discuss common misconceptions and difficulties concerning science education.
November 2006	Ambassadors organize Family Fun Science night at Black Earth Elementary School with the help of other UW-Madison Outreach organizations. The event was a huge success; over 150 families attended!
Fall/Spring 2006/2007	Ambassadors visit Wisconsin Heights Elementary Schools weekly or biweekly to enhance science lessons.
April 2007	Kate and Katie submit and receive a Wisconsin Idea Fellowship, which allows the Outreach Ambassadors to expand their efforts and reestablishes emphasis on the Wisconsin Idea (proposal for the WIF)
April 2007	Ambassadors present a poster at the UW-Madison Undergraduate Research Symposium highlighting their outreach efforts.
June 2007	Biocore Outreach Ambassadors teamed with Biocore instructors, the UW-Madison Biology Outreach Club and Wisconsin Heights Teachers to carry out a week-long Summer Science Camp for students in the Wisconsin Heights District. The theme of the camp was: How do we know what we know? Over forty 4 th-12 th grade students spent a week carrying out their own investigations of the Black Earth Creek, Pleasant Valley prairie, molecular biology, or human physiology and presented their work to parents and teachers.
Fall 2007	Ambassadors recruit a new cohort of Biocore students to continue outreach efforts in the Wisconsin Heights District and a new district, Deerfield.
October 22, 2007	Family Fun Science Night at Deerfield Elementary
November 2007	Mazo Family Fun Science Night in the Wisconsin Heights school district
Future
June 2008	Second Summer Science Camp at Wisconsin Heights

Who do I contact if I’m interested in joining the Biocore Outreach Ambassadors?

Group E-mail: UWBioOA@gmail.com
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michelle Harris (maharris@wisc.edu)
Co-Chair: Kate Dielentheis (dielentheis@gmail.com)
Co-Chair: Katie Gielissen (gielissen@wisc.edu)