Science Club

The Center for Genetic Medicine has partnered with the Robert R. McCormick Boys & Girls Club of Chicago to form Science Club, an after-school mentorship program for middle school students.

Led by CGM faculty Michael Kennedy, director of science outreach and public engagement for the Northwestern University Office for Research, and Carolyn Jahn, associate professor of cell and molecular biology, the club was designed to to engage middle school students in science through fun, hands-on activities. Northwestern undergraduate and graduate students serve as mentors, guiding small groups of club members weekly through the initiative's curriculum.

A new 10-week session of Science Club begins every fall, winter, and spring quarter. Each session culminates with an event, such as a science fair, where club members present their work to their families, friends, and BGC peers. Now in its fourth quarter, Science Club serves approximately 40 students at the McCormick site.

Science Club is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and by the Reinhardt and Shirley Jahn Foundation Trust.

Science Club would also like to acknowledge grant support from Science Chicago and a generous donation of supplies from Caryn Snodgrass at Becton, Dickenson and Company.

For more information about becoming a Science Club mentor, please contact Anna Shepherd at 312-502-5602 or annashepherd@northwestern.edu.