By Tom Gralinski, STEM Coordinator
Smith College Jandon Center for Community Engagement
Date: December 2015

Program Description: On November 11th, Paula Ingall’s class from the HCC-Adult Learning Center in Holyoke came to Smith College for an introduction to microscopy and plant and animal cells. Allison Sirois ‘0GR, Amalia Driller-Colangelo ’18, and Varsha Subramaniam ’17 worked with Judith Wopereis from the Center for Microscopy and Imaging to develop a 2-hour program that had the visiting students learning about light microscopes and the basics of plant and animal cells.

#1: Varsha Subramanian ’17 explains some of the more common blood disorders as the students are introduced to animal cells.

#2: Allison Sirois ‘0GR explains the light microscope adjustments to one of the HCC-ALC students.

#3: Varsha Subramanian ’17 has one of the students describe the plant organelles he is looking at in the microscope.

#4: Amalia Driller-Colangelo ’18 helps to focus the image for one of the HCC-ALC students.

#5: Allison Sirois ‘0GR looks at a picture of plant cells one of the students took through the microscope using his smartphone.