Education & Inclusivity
CitySprouts
Figure 1. David A Ellis School Garden
Over the summer, members of our human practices team collaborated with CitySprouts, an organization focused on teaching young students about science and caring for plants by giving them hands-on experiences in their own schoolyard gardens. They focus on promoting sustainability, community, and providing equitable access to students who attend schools in underfunded areas. The unique partnership between the organization, teachers, students, and families has allowed for students in local Boston communities to have hands-on outdoor learning, even in urban settings.
Figure 2. Leaf damage from beet leafminer flies laying eggs
We chose to work with them as we felt they embodied the values of our team, and that the experience would help us better understand what our project needed to benefit our local communities. We were given the opportunity to help take care of the gardens during the summer while students were on break. Members tended to the Rafeal Hernandez school garden and the David Ellis school garden on a weekly basis, which are both located in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Tasks included watering, weeding, and harvesting.
Figure 3. Rafeal Hernandez school garden
During our work, we consistently spoke to each other, CitySprouts representatives, and our community to discuss what we were learning and how our new perspectives could improve our project. Working in the gardens exposed us to a multitude of plants, and the differences in their needs and growth structure. This made us think not only about how versatile our cellulose-binding method of flame retardant could be, but also how in the future, we could tweak our methods to better suit each type of plant. For example, a lot of our team noted how some of the plants needed water more often, particularly due to the intense waves of heat that the Boston area experienced. This made us think about building upon our project and designing proteins that could help the plants retain water more effectively. Coming into the garden consistently allowed us to make hands-on observations about plant relationships and interactions, particularly how some act as a "support" to other plants, allowing them to grow more effectively. This again gave our team the opportunity to reflect on building on our project in the future, potentially designing proteins that enhance these interactions. Working with the gardens gave us the opportunity to get hands-on experience in the same way that local students do, which not only gave us our own insights about the importance of these gardens, but also revealed future paths we could take to help maintain and improve the health of the plants that reside within them. Simple interactive learning experiences with your community can always grant new insights, no matter your age or previous experiences.
Figure 4. Human Practices team + City Sprouts team at the David A Ellis Garden
The Boys and Girls Club
The Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA) is the largest youth-focused nonprofit in the U.S. Their mission is to help all young people reach their full potential as caring, responsible citizens. They create safe spaces where kids can learn, grow, and build confidence, offering programs in academics, leadership, creative expression, and healthy lifestyles.
We wanted to work with younger students because sparking curiosity in science early can have a big impact. The Boys & Girls Club was the perfect partner since they focus on making learning accessible, especially for communities that don't always have the same resources. For us, this was also a chance to practice explaining biology and biotechnology in ways that were fun, simple, and engaging.
Last year, our Human Practices team worked with the Jordan Boys & Girls Club's culinary arts program. We ran a workshop on composting and sustainability, showing how kitchen scraps could be turned into nutrient-rich soil. By connecting cooking with environmental awareness, we encouraged students to see how small choices like composting can contribute to a greener planet.
This year, we joined the Boys & Girls Club of America's (BFCA) summer STEM enrichment program to spark curiosity in biology and biotechnology among younger students. The goal was to make complex topics like cells, DNA, and protein understandable and also inspiring! To keep things engaging, we built our lesson around interactive activities and visuals that helped students connect with biology concepts in creative ways:
Figure 5. Aidan teaches students at the Jordan boys and club about the structure of DNA
- Building Your Own Plant Cell: students constructed model plant cells based on what they learned about organelles and their functions.
- Visuals and Interactive Questions: throughout the session, we used visuals and short quizzes to reinforce understanding and keep students actively thinking
- Problem-Solving Game: each group selected a "problem card" and used the organelles they learned about to draw and present a plant cell–based solution to the class. Students then used playdough to build their own plant cells. This encouraged creative thinking about how biology can solve real-world challenges
- Candy Base-Pairing Activity: to explain how DNA codes for proteins, students paired different colored candies representing nucleotides, demonstrating how these base pairs form the foundation of genetic information.
- Video Learning: we incorporated a video from the Amoeba Sisters, a popular educational channel known for simplifying complex topics. The video tied together how DNA, chromosomes, genes, and traits are connected.
- Careers in Bioengineering: we ended the workshop by highlighting how biology and biotechnology open doors to future careers and innovation.
Figure 6. Students at the boys and girls club sketch out plant cells
Figure 7. Students at the boys and girls club construct their own plant cells
Figure 8. Students at the boys and girls club learn about DNA base pairing
This tied back to our iGEM project on biological flame retardants, showing how the same science behind cells, DNA, and proteins can be used to solve real-world problems. We realized that how you explain science makes all the difference. Their questions and reactions also helped us see which parts of our project were hardest for non-scientists to understand. For example, many students were curious about how our plant cell would actually work in real-life settings, which made us realize we needed to explain when it comes to our flame retardant protein, its safety and environmental impact in clearer terms. This feedback directly influenced how we now present our project to the public and how we frame its importance beyond the lab.
This reminded us that our project isn't just about lab work, it's also about how people understand it. Moving forward, we want to:Highlight how our flame retardant could protect communities and the environment. Create visuals and graphics that explain our work in simple terms. Keep accessibility at the center of our broader impact strategy.
Clear communication matters: Explaining science well is just as important as doing the science.Inspiring early curiosity works: Even small exposures to STEM can make a big difference.Our work has human impact: Thinking about safety and sustainability helps us frame our project in a way that connects beyond the lab.
"This collaboration didn't just strengthen our Human Practices, it reminded us why we do science in the first place: to make an impact that people can see, understand, and benefit from"
Trash 2 Treasure
Trash 2 Treasure (T2T) is a sustainability club at Northeastern, dedicated to reducing waste on campus by collecting and re-selling student donations. Every semester, T2T diverts upwards of 15,000 pounds of clothing, electronics, furniture, and other items from landfills, redistributing them through sales and donations. Their work highlights the importance of sustainability, and community involvement in addressing environmental challenges.
Our team partnered with T2T to host an upcycling activity, where students repurposed old T-shirts using lino-cut printing. This collaboration gave us the opportunity to share our project with a new audience while connecting it directly to themes of recycling and sustainable materials. This clothing related upcycling activity allowed us to discuss the harmful effects of traditional flame retardants. Many commercial flame retardants are PFAS-based, posing a risk to human health and the environment. Through this event, we were able to explain how FloraGuard offers a protein-based alternative that could provide flame resistance without the environmental and health drawbacks of chemical treatments. This collaboration reinforced the importance of considering sustainability and environmentally conscious decisions not just with our research but also in our daily habits.