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May 1997
Science bound
aren Wignall knows the gross aspects of science lure some students.
Especially students who don't link their futures to science.
Wignall, a science teacher at North High School in Des Moines, is helping a group of 26 minority students in Iowa State's Science Bound program learn about water conservation and treatment. The students have been studying the water at the Kiwanis Riverview Nature Island, a former amusement park under conversion to conservation area.
"We took some water samples and they all looked the same initially,"
Wignall recalled. "But the ones from the Des Moines River tested
positive for fecal matter 48 hours into the test. It was really gross,
but it kept them interested."
And it sparked lively conversations among the students about how to change the water quality in the area. They followed up with presentations on water treatment, contaminants and water-borne diseases and mock legislation aimed at restoring the area.
Since 1991, the Science Bound program has reached out to minority students in Des Moines, seeking to foster an interest in science among those whose chances of going to college are slim. Science Bound offers that chance.
The program is as simple as it is ambitious. Students are "invited" into the program at the end of seventh grade, according to their interest or talent in math and science. Those who enroll in the program must attend 75 percent of its activities, which are in addition to normal school activities, and maintain a "B" average in their classes. They also need to be prepared to be hounded about their grades and commit to more than class work, Wignall said.
Science Bound activities include after-school meetings, tutoring, science demonstrations, field trips, summer algebra and computer courses, and summer internships.
Those who complete the program and meet all of its requirements receive free tuition at Iowa State, if they major in science or math and are in good standing academically.
"The program gives students the opportunity to see what their possibilities are," said Science Bound director and ISU associate professor of chemistry Kathleen Trahanovsky. "They see what can happen with the right course work and exposure to science in high school."
"The Science Bound program is desperately needed," said Derrick Rollins, ISU associate professor of statistics and chemical engineering. "It exposes minority students to science at a very early age. It exposes them to scientists at a very early age. If we're going to make an impact in math and science for minorities, we have to start at this level."
"We try to get them to understand that to be a good student, you have to do volunteer work and you have to be on committees," Wignall said. "We're trying to get them to be well-rounded students."
Without Science Bound, "I wouldn't be here," said Jeanda Cavan, an ISU freshman in pre-computer engineering. "My family can't provide for a college education. The financial help was very big for me."
Cavan is one of Science Bound's first eight "graduates," who now are attending Iowa State. For them, the program is a success. But for each successful student, there are six who didn't make it. They didn't make it because of grades, attendance, commitment or pressure from those around them.
"Peer groups are pushing for their time and energy," said Wignall, who
has been involved in the program for five years. "We've had an impact,
but it's not 100 percent. I know of one male student this year who has
become involved in gangs and is doing some other extracurricular
activities."
Of Wignall's seven seniors in the program last year, two made it to Iowa State, four moved away and one dropped out of the program because of grades.
"It's easy to drop out," said Cavan, who had been in Science Bound since eighth grade. "I got a lot of pressure from friends who weren't planning on going to college."
"Peer pressure on a daily basis is the biggest threat," added Rollins, who has brought Science Bound students into his lab to make ice cream, green "slime" and Silly Putty.
Peer pressure and nearly no professional role models often make these students feel isolated and different. Successful Science Bound students usually are the first in their families to attend college. Not seeing an African American or Hispanic scientist at home or on TV takes its toll.
Rollins, an African American who recently received the 1996 Mentor Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said collegiate role models are everywhere. They're just not appropriate for most students.
"All they have to do is watch the NCAA tournament to see other minority college students - on the court," Rollins said. "They see athletics as a door that's been open to college."
"A lot of them think they'll get an athletic scholarship," Wignall said. "Yet, many of these kids aren't even starting on their varsity teams.
"We're changing more than early exposure to science," she added. "We teach them responsibility, study skills, leadership skills."
Recalling the water project, Wignall added, "students will make presentations of their own projects. We may even have them make their presentations to the Iowa Legislature. We're working on a major reversal in trends and thought processes here. It's not just science curriculum."
The formula for success of these students is teamwork. For Cavan, her parents and teachers played pivotal roles.
"My parents told me my best opportunity for getting a good job is to get a good education," Cavan said. "The teachers really cared and got involved in the program."
"You have to bring the parents in and make it a family project," Rollins explained. "You need a partnership between the student, the family, the (high school) teacher and the organizers. It's not just the student who succeeds or fails. They're all responsible."
And for eight Des Moines students so far, it has worked.
Skip Derra, News Service
The Iowa Stater, Stater@iastate.edu, University Relations
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