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