Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science

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Saturday Science Academy

About the Program

In 1990, we created a special program to encourage youngsters to excel in science
and math…Drew Saturday Science Academy.

By exposing students to science and research subjects and topics at early ages, Drew has shown that students interests in math and science are stimulated and heightened as they grow and move up in grade levels. At the high school level, promising students are further challenged to delve deeper into the sciences, and they are encouraged to pursue educational and career goals in the biomedical science and health-related fields. A select group of students is enrolled in a special curriculum emphasizing scientific inquiry, critical thinking, and effective communications. These students are assigned a research project prior to graduation from high school.

The Drew pipeline also exposes students to ongoing research and includes both institutional and federally funded programs from the National Library of Medicine (K-12) and the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (high school and undergraduate students).

In 1990, we created a special program to encourage youngsters to excel in science and math. Our weekend learning program is structured and hands-on.

It has one teacher or a teacher’s assistant for every five students.
It requires parents to participate in workshops and serve as volunteers.
It uses physicians and medical students as mentors and tutors.
It gives students a glimpse of what it’s like to be a doctor.
It makes learning science, math and medicine interesting and fun for the children who
enroll. We call our program the Charles Drew University ‘Saturday Science Academy’.

What can a five-year-old learn about biology? We’ve shown they can learn plenty when they’re able to take part in a marine life field trip at The Aquarium of the Pacific, or a whale-watching voyage off the Southern California coast, or a plant life field trip at Topanga State Park in Santa Monica.

What can an 11-year-old learn about anatomy?
We know they can learn an enormous amount when they take a trip to the California Science Center in Exposition Park to view the film "The Human Body" at the IMAX Theater and when they are taught to play roles as ophthalmologists, cardiologists, orthopedic surgeons, and hematologists in classroom activities and health fairs.

Our learning program does a more than nurture a child’s interest in science and math. It
provides kids in our community with an open door to the wonders of the world around them through an exploration of complex subjects and academic exercises tailored to their age.

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