About the Program
Saturday Science Academy
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.
Saturday Science Home
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