Colorado Academy’s Middle School science teachers organized a STEM takeover on January 31, 2025, for the second annual Middle School Science Symposium at CA. They got help from some very special guest experts to put on the nearly day-long event: around 20 CA parents, all of them scientists, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, or tech leaders, invited to present hands-on sessions for Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Graders.
This second installment of the Symposium was “an invaluable opportunity for our Middle School students to learn about STEM careers from experts in their fields,” according to Senior Instructor Kathleen Kirkman.
Adds Preceptor and fellow Middle School science teacher Erin Galvin, “There was a great sense of pride and excitement from both the parents sharing their work and the kids of those parents, which really underscored the close community of our Middle School.”
Only a few of the Symposium guests were returning to CA for this second year, including Dr. In Sok Yi, an orthopedic hand, wrist, and elbow surgeon. Most of the 20-some visitors were new to the event, which this year expanded to Sixth and Eighth Grades; last year’s Symposium, for Seventh Graders, was so intriguing that adding the other two Middle School grades was a no-brainer.
“We are so fortunate to be able to tap into the expertise of so many of our families; some of these parents are at the forefront of their respective fields,” notes science Instructor Josh Reilly. “By sharing their work, they give CA students a glimpse into the future of science and the opportunities they can explore.”
Middle Schoolers were thrilled to get a close-up look into the many fields the guests represented.
David Skuodas, an engineer and “urban stream advocate” who is the Director of Design, Construction, and Maintenance at the Mile High Flood District, set up a stream table demonstration in one classroom. In another lab, Dr. Yi joined fellow hand surgeon Dr. Sameer Lodha in carefully arranging preserved cadaver arms on lab tables and instructing students in hand and arm anatomy, encouraging them to try various surgical techniques and tools.
Another surgical demonstration by Dr. Janie Boyeson, a periodontist, had students operating on preserved pig jaws, in which they made gum incisions and applied sutures. A fellow dental professional, Dr. Nancy Gill, supervised students as they inserted and cured fillings in tooth models. And Dr. Alex Smart, a pulmonary and critical care specialist, guided students as they trained on a video bronchoscope.
Meanwhile on Zoom, CA alumna Dori Beck ’23, a second-year undergraduate at the University of Virginia, virtually shared her work in biomedical engineering. And fermentation scientist John Giarratano, Founder & Lead Engineer with Inland Island Yeast Laboratories, mesmerized students with an up-close look at the art of yeast propagation, which allows his company to supply breweries all over the country.
Tucked away down another hallway was a surprise: a trove of bomb-squad technology, courtesy of Daniel Tipton, one of eight members of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, which responds to chemical and bomb requests throughout the region. Students were fascinated to learn about the robots and x-ray and thermal-imaging technology employed by Bomb Squad members, and they peppered the expert with questions about the protective bomb suit on display as well as training devices that simulate potential explosives.
The Middle School scientists were excited to discover in another lab Google’s Design Lead for AI and Machine Learning, Todd Shaiman, who gave students a crash course in how large language models such as Google Gemini generate text and images. He wowed students by doing an on-the-fly demonstration of Google’s Notebook LM, which was able to compose an impressively realistic-sounding podcast comparing the World of Harry Potter with Colorado Academy.
Over in CA’s Raether Library Innovations classroom, Dr. Jessica Husum, a pediatric anesthesiologist, shared the details of her work with young patients. Students got hands-on resuscitation time with an airway trainer, which allowed them to practice intubation with a video laryngoscope. The students also enjoyed using stethoscopes to check their friends’ heartbeats.
Next door, Middle Schoolers learned all about diseases of the eye from Dr. Michele Jablonka, an optometrist. The students perused testing materials for color vision, learned about corrective lenses and eye dominance, and found out about the common condition of astigmatism. And in yet another Middle School classroom, Dr. Rita Sharma set up displays of heart muscles and other internal organs to highlight her experience as a specialist in family medicine and Senior Instructor with UC Health.
Students excitedly traveled between classrooms throughout the day, absorbing information from these and many more visiting experts. “Being exposed to a variety of career opportunities that are relevant to the science they are studying in class,” says Kirkman, “the Symposium becomes a true hands-on experience of opportunities in the real world.”
Galvin observes, “All told, this was a great way for our students to see how passions can develop into careers through hard work, dedication, and lifelong learning.”