While many scientists engage in outreach beyond their labs and universities, few are as intentional, creative, and dedicated in their outreach as Dr. Alejandra Yep, an associate professor of Biological Sciences at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). Dr. Yep founded an innovative bilingual education program where college students teach elementary school kids about microbiology in Spanish.

 

Dr. Yep’s outreach program initially got started with what was supposed to be a one-time visit to a first-grade classroom. After realizing that many kids held biased perceptions about science and scientists alike, she was determined to do more. In particular, as an Argentinian scientist, Dr. Yep was initially shocked to realize that many Latinx kids growing up in the US have internalized the message that people who look like them or who speak Spanish could never become scientists. At the same time, she became increasingly aware of common misconceptions about core concepts in microbiology.

 

She is now incorporating this outreach work into her research and mentoring roles by collaborating with science education expert Dr. Jasmine Nation and supervising undergraduate researchers majoring in psychology, education, and biology. Together, they are not only designing their own activities and lesson plans, but also evaluating the positive impacts that these experiences provide for young kids and for the college students who teach them.

 

Through her program, she hopes to break down both scientific and social misconceptions in students of all ages as well as in the larger community.