K-12 Advocates and Partners

The Washington University community—faculty, administrators, staff, and students—carries its commitment to education directly to students in elementary and secondary classrooms throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area and also indirectly through assistance to teachers, administrators, and school health officials.

For instance, lectures in elementary and secondary schools are given on a wide range of topics. In addition, many faculty members serve as curriculum and textbook consultants to school districts, serve on school boards, and serve on steering committees and subcommittees of organizations like the St. Louis 2004 Learning Team, Cooperating School Districts, and St. Louis Regional Professional Development Center.

Following are some examples of the interaction of Washington University teachers, administrators, and students with K-12 education in the region.

Sponsoring a Charter School
Washington University will serve as institutional sponsor of the St. Louis area's first KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter school. The school is scheduled to open in fall 2009. KIPP, a network of free, college preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States, has been recognized for its success in putting students on the path to college.

Working with Teachers
Washington University is helping St. Louis teachers in grades K-12 present accurate, modern, and enjoyable science to their students.

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Washington University Arts & Sciences $16.5 million in grants for two initiatives. The St. Louis Center for Inquiry in Science Teaching and Learning is being developed as a national model for improving science education; the five school district partners for this initiative are University City, St. Louis Public Schools, Riverview Gardens, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, and Kirkwood. The second initiative is the St. Louis Inner Ring Cooperative, designed to help teachers meet the needs of students performing below their peers in science and math; the five school district partners are Ferguson-Florissant, Maplewood-Richmond Heights, University City, Riverview Gardens, and Webster Groves.

Science Outreach in Arts & Sciences helps teachers through a series of partnerships. The Outreach Partnership combines the expertise of staff at St. Louis' world-class science institutions with the experience of Washington University faculty and teachers of grades 5-12 in creating a standards-aligned science curriculum that sparks student interest through hands-on activities. As part of the St. Louis Public Schools Urban Systemic Initiative, the St. Louis Public Schools Partnership brings high school and middle school science teachers together with Washington University faculty to develop standard science tests and a common districtwide assessment schedule. Through Teaching Teams, teachers can also bring Washington University undergraduates into their classrooms to teach hands-on science lessons.

A formal partnership between the Department of Education in Arts & Sciences and Kirkwood High School results in improved pre-service and in-service teacher education. In addition, each year 15-20 Washington University students complete their student teaching at Kirkwood High School.

More than 55 students each year help teachers by taking federal work-study positions in local schools, serving as reading tutors at Flynn Park Elementary School, Delmar Harvard Elementary School, and other school and after-school programs.

Most of the 22 St. Louis metropolitan school districts have sent elementary and secondary teachers to workshops that offered new ideas for bringing the world into St. Louis classrooms. Washington University has helped sponsor workshops on African studies, Islamic art, and Russian and Slavic studies.

Many Washington University faculty members have lent their expertise to local elementary and secondary school teachers through the International Education Consortium. Through workshops and seminars, the consortium provides access to the best research and resources the arts and humanities can bring to a broad spectrum of global concerns.

Faculty members also help elementary school teachers learn ways to teach hands-on science through the Academy of Science of St. Louis.

The University's libraries—the largest and most comprehensive library system in the region—assist area teachers by providing use of materials and facilities as well as offering borrowing privileges. Teachers also frequently turn to our libraries for information on grants. In addition, the University's preservation librarian advises individuals and libraries on care and repair of books and manuscripts and also promotes the preservation of books through presentations to teachers, school librarians, and students in St. Louis.

Working with Students
Space—Through the School of Engineering's Project Aria, more than 3,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade have had their science experiments flown on four space shuttles. Additional flights are planned for the next few years. A second K-12 program, the AHAB project launched in fall 2002, allows students to fly experiments to the edge of space via a high-altitude balloon. A third major project is the Akoya satellite. Project Aria's long-term goal is to build and operate a student-focused deep space probe that will allow K-12 students around the world to participate in space exploration.

Math and Science—Faculty members at Washington University in St. Louis are actively involved in the George Engelmann Mathematics and Science Institute, which the University of Missouri-St. Louis created and administers. The institute is committed to equipping high school students with advanced knowledge and skills in science and mathematics.

Along with the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Saint Louis University, Washington University participates in the Pfizer-Solutia Partnership of Universities' Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) summer program. In the summer of 2006 61 area high school students worked with professor mentors in varying areas of science and engineering, receiving hands-on laboratory work and learning about professional opportunities in science and technology.

The Young Scientist Program, entirely run by student volunteers from the School of Medicine and Arts & Sciences, promotes science and scientific careers to high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds through exposure to hands-on research projects and individualized contact with active scientists. As part of this program, K-12 students can get answers to questions in chemistry, physics, astronomy, engineering, computer science, earth science, and biology through the MAD Scientist Network, an Internet site founded by two Washington University medical students.

K-2 students in the St. Louis region have an opportunity to study science through the MySci Investigation Station, a roving vehicle of innovative science exhibits. Presented by Monsanto, MySci was developed by Washington University, the Saint Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, the Saint Louis Zoo, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Art—Through the College of Architecture/Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts has helped inner-city youths discover their natural talents and build their self-confidence through a summer drawing program. The youths have exhibited their art at the Center of Contemporary Arts and the University City library.

The College of Art/Graduate School of Art's "Portfolio Plus" summer program offers St. Louis-area high-school students intensive instruction in ceramics, computer graphics, fashion design, watercolor painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. The annual High School Teachers Forum allows art teachers from across the country to meet with faculty and students while sharing their own best practices.

Art's WashUCity mentoring program connects the visual communications majors with graphic design students at University City High School. Faculty also have led in forming the American Institute of Graphic Arts/St. Louis and in organizing its educational outreach efforts.

Law—Speaking to classes in the St. Louis public school district, teams of students from Washington University Law have taught fifth-graders practical legal concepts that might affect the youths' everyday lives. Part of the Law-Related Education Initiative, this program is designed to empower youngsters by providing a better understanding of the laws of society and their value.

The law school works with area students in other programs such as:

Washington U. Law Big Brothers Big Sisters Program — Law students are matched with students from Langston Middle School through this site-based program. Big and Little matches meet every other week for 90 minutes for planned activities and mentoring.

Women's Law Caucus (WLC) Debating Program — Members of WLC facilitate a weekly debating program for adolescent girls housed at the Juvenile Detention Center in St. Louis City; the girls are divided into teams and debate topics including school uniforms, affirmative action, St. Louis' best rapper, and junk food in school vending machines.

Project Law — Members of the Criminal Law Society work with and mentor students at Eskridge Memorial High School in the Wellston School District; weekly activities include debating, discussions of current events, conflict resolution, and community outreach.

Family Law Society tutoring/childcare program with Lydia's House — Law students tutor/babysit children whose mothers are taking classes or attending therapy at Lydia's House, a transitional housing provider for victims of domestic violence.

International Humanitarian Law Teacher's Program — Law students are trained through the Whitney R. Harris Institute for Global Legal Studies and the Red Cross to teach principles of international humanitarian law to area high school students.

Interdisciplinary Workshops—Through the Arts & Sciences service-learning course titled Rediscovering the Child, undergraduate students from all disciplines share their knowledge with elementary children at Adams School in Forest Park Southeast. University students design a series of creative, hands-on, interdisciplinary workshops one semester and then team-teach them the next semester.

At-risk Students—Graduate students with the Department of Education in Arts & Sciences and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work have assisted high-risk students at Clay Elementary School and their parents cope with school. In addition, Washington University is working with the University City School District to provide outreach to at-risk students and families.

Diverse Students—The Biomedical Research Apprenticeship Program provides summer science research experience for diverse students. Participants gain in-depth research experience in preparation for careers in the biomedical sciences.

Tutoring—In 2006-07 more than 300 children in the St. Louis area received tutoring from more than 300 student volunteers organized through Campus Y. Washington University students have tutored children at Wydown Middle School, Brittany Woods Middle School, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys and Girls Club in East St. Louis in basic reading and mathematics; gifted elementary and middle school children through the Gifted Resource Council; and elementary and middle school children at Brittany Woods Middle School and at Bethel Lutheran and Flynn Park Elementary Schools in environmental studies.

Students Helping Young Learners—Our students actively help educate regional elementary and secondary students. The American Medical Students Association at the medical school, for instance, sponsors STATS (Students Teaching AIDS to Students), which sends well-informed medical students into middle school classrooms to teach young people about behavior that puts them at risk of getting AIDS. And architecture students have taught children with learning disabilities about architecture..

Interdisciplinary Institute for Children and Youth — Through this institute, Washington University Law is involved in the following projects with other schools on campus.

SCORE (Student and Caretaker Options to Resolve conflict and Empower positive outcomes) is a school and community-based intervention. Conflict resolution and anger management training is provided to 5th and 6th graders to enable them to identify the effect of conflict in their lives; recognize positive and negative conflict management strategies; and utilize positive conflict management strategies in order to reduce conflict-related stress and violence in their lives.

WIRED (Washington University in Renaissance Place at Grand for Entrepreneurial Development) aims to strengthen technology and entrepreneurial literacy as a vehicle for self and community development. The project is designed to engage youths, inspire goal-setting behavior, develop transferable skill sets, and provide a successful experience.

Danforth Scholars (undergraduate students) serve as educational role models and mentors to young people in seeking out and applying for post-secondary education and/or training opportunities and financial aid to take advantage of those opportunities.

Children's Hospital Outreach Services — Preventive healthcare services are provided by Children's Hospital Child Health Advocacy and Outreach Department in two program areas: Healthy Kids Express and Safety Streets.

College Bound — Youths and their caregivers participate in a day-long session on Washington University's campus engaged in programming that includes a campus tour, meetings with an admissions officer who presents the admissions process, and meetings with a financial aid officer who presents the financial aid process.

In addition, students in areas such as social work and education often serve internships and help run pilot programs in area schools.

Athletics—Each year students on both campuses are involved as hosts, buddies, and coaching assistants for area Special Olympics events .

Helping Students Prepare for College
The Road to College guide and conference helps prospective students and their families, alumni and their families, faculty/staff and their families, and high school counselors and their students plan for college. The guide includes a month-by-month checklist of activities beginning with the fall of the prospective student's junior year in high school, a description of what to look for in a college or university, tips on narrowing the list of prospective colleges and universities for application, and an explanation of the application process. The conference, offered twice each summer, covers college preparatory programs, offers tips on choosing from 3,000+ colleges and universities, explains the application process, and reviews options for covering the cost of attending college.

The University's Office of Student Financial Services offers a speakers service that sends representatives into the community to conduct workshops and panels on financing higher education.

For two weeks during the summer, the Architecture Discovery Program provides high school students from across the country a firsthand look at what it is like to be an architecture student.

The College of Art's "Portfolio Plus" summer program introduces high-school students to serious visual arts study and portfolio preparation for college admissions.

Through the Summer Scholars Program, qualified high school students are able to take college courses.

College preparation programs at Washington University also reach out to 8th-grade students and parents. Through St. Louis Public Schools, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions holds programs every year for 8th-graders to make them aware of college and career preparation.

Tours and Field Trips for Teachers and Students
The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, part of the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, works with teachers and students to arrange special lectures and tours of the museum’s special exhibits and permanent collection. Edison Theatre's tours show St. Louis students behind-the-scenes theatre production. Sessions on learning how to use the University's library are provided through tours of Olin Library.

Students can also learn about the American Indian heritage at special events, like the powwow and other annual activities held during American Indian Awareness Week, sponsored by Washington University's Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies.