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Project START (Students, Teachers, and Researchers Teach) Science! is a Yeshiva University student-led program that brings college students into public school classrooms to lead hands-on lessons in science. START began in a single public school classroom. Since then, it has expanded to several classes spread throughout three public schools. Six to eight college volunteers teach in each of the classrooms each week, and the classes themselves are split into groups of three or four students, allowing highly personalized instruction. The high ratio of START volunteers to students lets all the students participate in these activities and discuss the scientific content with college-age scientists.  This focused attention develops more scientific interest and intuition than a regular classroom lecture.

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Currently directed by Talya Laufer (Stern ‘13) and Gilad Barach (YC ‘14), START operates under the guidance of its faculty advisor, Dr. Raji Viswanathan, and with the help and support of many other members of Yeshiva University’s faculty. START is “driven by the excitement, eagerness and motivation” of over 200 Yeshiva College and Stern student volunteers, stressed Laufer, and that is what led to the “overwhelmingly positive feedback from the principals, teachers, students, parents, and volunteers involved,” continued START’s co-founder, Yair Saperstein (YC ‘12, Einstein MD ‘16).

Every START module focuses on one topic from a variety of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)-related fields: biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, health, and neuroscience.  Module leaders spend hours before each lesson planning the science content and presentation.  Most of all, START volunteers emphasize the hands-on activities which develop students’ intuition of the scientific principles taught. Favorite modules include building roller coasters to demonstrate conversion of mechanical energy, dissecting sheep hearts to study their anatomy, building gumdrop and toothpick bridges to test mechanical strength, and constructing circuits to learn about the flow of electricity. 



Although it has so far been focused in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York, in the backyard of Yeshiva University’s Wilf Campus, START is now expanding to a broader stage. “Our goal is for START to grow and inspire countless students to question the world around them using science as their lens,” said Chanokh Berenson (YC ‘13), START’s Social Media director.  In February 2012, the American Chemical Society's Magazine publicized START to a national audience, which drew the interest of students in the University of Iowa, who plan to begin a START branch in their community.  START is also planning to expand to other universities in the coming months.



START is now a contender in the Dell Social Innovation Challenge, a competition with over $350,000 in prizes and awards for “young social innovators who dedicate themselves to solving the world's most pressing problems with their transformative ideas.”  START hopes to win the Challenge to spread its goal and provide new affiliate branches with money to purchase materials for their own operation.

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To register and vote to support START in the Dell Challenge, go to: http://www.dellchallenge.org/projects/start

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Caption:
The START team includes: Yair Saperstein (YC ‘12, Einstein MD ‘16), Menachem Spira (YC ‘12, Einstein biomedical researcher), Ari Cuperfain (YC ‘13), David Sweet (YC ‘12, Einstein MD ‘16), Gilad Barach (YC ‘13),Talya Laufer (Stern ‘13), Chanokh Berenson (YC ‘13), Isaac Attia (YC ‘13), , Steven Lowinger (YC ‘13), and Shimon Farber (YC ‘12, RIETS ‘16), Peter Kahn (YC ‘11 RIETS ‘12 Einstein MD ‘16), Steven Goldfeder (YC ‘12), Ayelet Bersson (Stern ‘13), Eli Grunblatt (YC ‘14), Sarina Miller (Stern ‘14), Estee Robin (Stern ‘14), Chana Weinstock (Stern ‘13), Yaakov Tuchman (YC ‘14), Elia Rackovsky (YC ‘13), Ike Levine YC ‘12, Batya Gounder (Stern ‘13), Josh Fluss (YC ‘13).