by Laura Manukyan
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Last year, Laura established and equipped a small chemistry lab in her village, Makenis, located in the Gegharkunik region. This year, hoping to ignite the village kids' interest in STEM once again, she gathered the school's 7th to 12th graders and together they visited two of Armenia’s top universities - Yerevan State University (YSU) and the Russian-Armenian University (RAU).
While visiting YSU's chemistry department, the students got a chance to roll up their sleeves and conduct hands-on experiments alongside a professor. At RAU, the students were greeted and guided personally by the head of the Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Department, who introduced them to the world of biomedicine and showed them real laboratory experiments and studies currently in the works. They even had a chance to experiment with plant DNA and practice being real-life scientists! Their journey through the world of STEM wouldn't have been complete without a visit to a planetarium, where they experienced the wonders of space firsthand.
Inspired by their newfound knowledge, the students organized a STEM Day at their school, showcasing to the community what they had learned. In collaboration with the HRI chapter of California State University Northridge (CSUN), and the Makenis School's faculty, Laura also set up and equipped a small physics lab at the school, providing students with a hands-on way to continue learning.
While visiting YSU's chemistry department, the students got a chance to roll up their sleeves and conduct hands-on experiments alongside a professor. At RAU, the students were greeted and guided personally by the head of the Bioengineering and Bioinformatics Department, who introduced them to the world of biomedicine and showed them real laboratory experiments and studies currently in the works. They even had a chance to experiment with plant DNA and practice being real-life scientists! Their journey through the world of STEM wouldn't have been complete without a visit to a planetarium, where they experienced the wonders of space firsthand.
Inspired by their newfound knowledge, the students organized a STEM Day at their school, showcasing to the community what they had learned. In collaboration with the HRI chapter of California State University Northridge (CSUN), and the Makenis School's faculty, Laura also set up and equipped a small physics lab at the school, providing students with a hands-on way to continue learning.
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