Promoting hands-on science learning globally with low-cost lab kits through Women Supporting Women in the Sciences

Abstract

Women Supporting Women in the Sciences (WS2)—ws2global.org—is an international initiative unifying and supporting graduate- and professional-level women and allies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while providing outreach to elementary- and secondary-level students. WS2 has been involved in the development of professional development workshops intended to empower university women and promote STEM careers. In their most recent venture, WS2 distributed low-cost physics and materials science lab kits that were designed virtually by international teams. These kits are relevant to elementary and secondary school students across the world, with initial focus on local schools in eastern Africa. In this Backstory, part of the WS2 leadership team (Dr. Joyce Elisadiki, Dr. Cecilia Rolence China, and Dr. Jill Wenderott) discusses how the Lab Kit Initiative came together and highlights outcomes and lessons learned from this project.

Above image: Secondary-level students in Tanzania learning about chemical reactions using the food science lab kit

Photo credit: Pendo Bigambo.

From 2021 to 2023, we reached over 5100 students, with 62% being girls, in eastern Africa with our lab kits.

59 volunteers (over 70% women) were involved in lab kit design, and 11 partners from 5 countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda) were instrumental in using the kits in local schools.

For me, I wanted to be a part of an organization that tries to build global bridges and creates content that is widely accessible.

This diversity sparked creativity and innovation which then enhanced our collaboration.

Main text

Proximity

Who are the players in this project, and how did you bring everyone together?

Jill Wenderott: Joyce and I initially met at the Joint Undertaking for an African Materials Institute school in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2016. We bonded over our shared interests in materials for sustainable energy and creating support networks for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Initially, we focused on designing professional development workshops for women at the undergraduate level, and then later we received the American Physical Society Innovation Fund which enabled us to create low-cost physics and materials science lab kits for primary- and secondary-level students on topics such as food science, light and color, heat transfer, and electrostatics. From 2021 to 2023, we reached over 5100 students, with 62% being girls, in eastern Africa with our lab kits.

Joyce Elisadiki: The main players in the Lab Kit Initiative were scientists and educators from various universities, schools, and organizations in Africa and the US. Some were invited to join the project by word of mouth from the cofounders of Women Supporting Women in the Sciences (WS2), and we also had an application process for joining lab kit design teams or serving as a lab kit facilitator that brought in a lot of new participants. 59 volunteers (over 70% women) were involved in lab kit design, and 11 partners from 5 countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda) were instrumental in using the kits in local schools.

What was the motivation to launch your Lab Kit Initiative?

Joyce Elisadiki: We were motivated to build a network of women scientists worldwide who will mentor girls and young women to pursue STEM-related subjects in higher education.

Jill Wenderott: I agree completely with Joyce. For me, I wanted to be a part of an organization that tries to build global bridges and creates content that is widely accessible. I think our Lab Kit Initiative does this well.

Challenges and benefits

Did you encounter any challenges or any benefits of working with people from different backgrounds and expertise? How did you bridge the gap among different disciplines and global locations? How do you prepare to teach, interact, and solve conflicts in interdisciplinary settings?

Joyce Elisadiki: Not really, the composition of team had many more benefits than challenges since individuals with different backgrounds and expertise bring unique perspectives and approaches that bring critical ideas. This diversity sparked creativity and innovation which then enhanced our collaboration.

Jill Wenderott: One challenge that we had to meet through this initiative was productive virtual teaming. Especially with members from all over the world, meeting time had to be a compromise between team members. Additionally, to ensure the teams were able to effectively “take off” with their lab kit design, WS2 leadership provided lab kit topics, a roadmap design, and timely feedback for the teams. Like WS2, each virtual team was co-led by someone from Africa and someone from outside Africa, which promoted diverse perspectives from the top.

Approach

Please describe your approach to develop or adjust as you launched the Lab Kit Initiative

Jill Wenderott: Our virtual lab design occurred during the global COVID pandemic. Luckily, we didn’t have to shut down the initiative because our meetings were already happening by Zoom, but our teams certainly had to consider the impact of the pandemic on their volunteer team members’ lives, practice compassion, and adjust schedules or tasks as needed. We weren’t totally sure we would be able to take our kits into classrooms following the design phase due to the ongoing pandemic, so we discussed contingency plans for students to take kits home to use them. Thankfully, these contingency plans did not come to pass, because there is something special about students being able to work together on these hands-on experiments in our kits: the collective energy is palpable!

Interdisciplinary collaboration

How did the decision of branching out from your fields come about? What implications did it have on your careers? (Recognition, funding etc?) What is your strategy to get funding for interdisciplinary projects?

Cecilia Rolence China: The decision to branch out from my field came from my passion to give back to society. I felt an obligation to empower and inspire young girls to pursue science, just as I was supported in my upbringing. This move has given me recognition and a sense of self-satisfaction. To secure funding for interdisciplinary projects, I employ a consortium approach. I collaborate with likeminded organizations to jointly write research grants, which increases our chances of receiving funding. As for governance of such projects, it’s important to establish clear roles and responsibilities within the consortium. Regular communication and monitoring are crucial to ensure the project’s success. In the long term, I plan to continue investing in acquiring the necessary skills, tools, and knowledge to effectively handle my interdisciplinary responsibilities, allowing me to make a lasting impact on both STEM and community empowerment.

Joyce Elisadiki: The decision to branch out from our fields came when we were preparing to design the low-cost science lab kits. We sought out researchers and educators from different fields and global locations. In the end, this worked out well as it helped us to create inquiry-based, hands-on science lab kits with contributions from different disciplines such as education, materials science, physics, and chemistry. We have benefited from this approach, as many funders are interested in research or groups that are multidisciplinary.

Communication

When disseminating your work, what are some strategies you have applied in reaching a broader audience beyond specific disciplines?

Joyce Elisadiki: We’ve used many strategies to disseminate our work: posting various events and updates on our website and through our quarterly newsletter; use of social media accounts of team members and their affiliated institutions; engagement in public outreach activities such as public talks, workshops, panel discussions, or community events; and translating the outcomes of the project, like our teacher and student manuals, into different languages which can be understood by the broader global community (e.g., our teacher and student manuals are currently available in English and Swahili).

Jill Wenderott: One point I’ll add: our lab kit manuals for teachers and students are freely available for download on our website at ws2global.org/download. Please check them out or share them with groups you know that are interested in low-cost, hands-on STEM activities with easy-to-find supplies.

Future

What are the future outlooks of the Lab Kit Initiative and the WS2 organization?

Jill Wenderott: We are continuing to expand the reach of our low-cost lab kits. Recently, led by Dr. Cecilia Rolence China, WS2 leadership was selected for the Reciprocal Exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship. Through this program, WS2 worked with the Foundation of Researchers to Empower Women in STEM based in Tanzania to host a hybrid three-day workshop that trained 30 primary- and secondary-level teachers from Mgeta Division schools on the WS2 energy transfer and food science lab kits, and supplies were provided so teachers could use the kits in their home classrooms. We are also looking at additional lab kit topics for future design phases. In particular, we’re hoping to develop low-cost lab kits that can teach elements of computer science to primary and secondary school students.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Jill Wenderott: We are always interested in working with other organizations to support women and girls in STEM globally. If you have ideas for collaboration, please reach out to us at ws2global.org@gmail.com.