Event on Haven Plaza Taps into Young Students’ Scientific Curiosity

More than 1,280 students from five public elementary schools in Washington Heights filled Haven Plaza at Columbia University Irving Medical Center to learn about science from interactive, hands-on science experiments and to seek information about careers in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math.

The Sept. 19 event was organized by the VP&S Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

The Curious Minds Science Zone featured interactive workshops in the Curiosity Cube, a 22x10-foot mobile science lab from MilliporeSigma, sponsored by the ABC hit show “Abbott Elementary.”

The science fair also featured programming created by Barbara Corneo, director of the stem cell core at Columbia, and Joanna Smeeton, assistant professor of rehabilitation & regenerative medicine, with scientists from the Stem Cell Initiative and the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Programming was tailored for elementary school children, such as allowing children to listen to their heart with a stethoscope, test their reflexes with a hammer, make brain caps, and participate in other activities led by medical students, residents, and postdocs at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Participating elementary students from grades three to six wore white coats to further encourage their interest in careers in health care and science.

Roy Vagelos, a 1954 graduate of VP&S and retired chair of pharmaceutical giant Merck, attended the event to participate in a roundtable discussion with science students, highlighting how a career in science and medicine has the power to make a positive impact on humanity. The Vagelos family’s philanthropy and other forms of support illustrate the family’s commitment to programs that promote science in underrepresented communities.

“The Curious Minds Science Zone marks the first-ever science fair at VP&S designed specifically for children in grades 3 to 6,” says Clara Leon, director of the VP&S Office of Student Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. “This engaging event aims to ignite children’s natural curiosity by introducing them to the groundbreaking scientific research and discoveries happening at Columbia and allowing the children to explore various scientific fields, ask questions, and deepen their understanding of the world around them.”

Columbia University Interim President Katrina Armstrong, who also is Columbia’s executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences, attended the event.