February 16, 2007

MGH and Timilty: Partners in science

It was a chilly day, but things were heating up at the James P. Timilty Middle School
in Roxbury as the annual schoolwide science fair kicked off Feb 5. Approximately
200 eighth-graders stood by their displays as a group of MGHers serving as volunteer judges questioned the young scientists and evaluated their projects.

The MGH/Timilty Science Connection, now in its 18th year, seeks to enhance the
academic performance and expand the career horizons of Timilty students. The partnership also provides development and curriculum support for Timilty science teachers. Nearly 30 MGH/Timilty mentorships take place every fall, in which students and mentors meet biweekly from October through February in preparation for the fair. In this way, students have access to scientific equipment and expertise that otherwise would be unavailable to them.

The results were impressive. Student Omar Sanabria utilized lab space available through his mentored relationship with Jae Oh, clinical research coordinator for MGH Cardiology, and Ryan Snider, clinical research coordinator for MGH Neurology, to study the effects of differing environmental temperature on heart rates during exercise. Sanabria, a charismatic and articulate student whose seventh grade project was selected for entrance into the statewide science fair competition, credited the opportunity to conduct such a complex experiment to his MGH mentorship.

Susan Berglund, manager of the MGH/Timilty Partnership, says, "The science fair is
about more than presenting science projects. It is an opportunity for every student to share their research and experiments with judges and mentors who are proud of the efforts the students have made. This support from the MGH community helps us to show all students that we believe they can be successful."

Candace Burns, the director of the MGH/Boston Public School Partnership, says, "We are so proud of this longstanding relationship with the Timilty and initiatives like science fair judging, which give MGH staff the opportunity to come out to the school and spend time with the students. We are thankful to all the volunteers and the 600 students who participated in the science fair."

From left, Yuleissy Ramirez; Kimberly Newton, research technician for MGH Neuromuscular research; and Alethea Martin

The MGH/Timilty Partnership, a part of the MGH/Boston Public School Partnerships, has existed since 1989 and was enhanced through a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in 1994. To find out more, visit www2.massgeneral.org/cb.