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

Program Description: In the evening of October 27th, a group from the HCC-Adult Learning Center in Holyoke visited Smith College to explore basic microscopy and learn about plant and animal cells. Allison Sirois ‘0GR, Amalia Driller-Colangelo ’18, and Sahar Aftab ’18 led and taught the activity and were supported by Varsha Subramaniam ’17 and Chloe Lee ’17. The group returned later in early December to explore cancer cells, to connect the science to their reading of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lax. Science Center Outreach and the Center for Microscopy and Imaging supports science education by doing 4-5 activities a year with this community partner.

#1: Amalia Driller-Colangelo ’18 assists a student in setting up her light microscope.

#2: Allison Sirois ‘0GR delivers specimen slides to one of the HCC-ALC students.

#3: Chloe Lee ’17 helps one of the students with the focus as he looks at blood cells.

#4: Sahar Aftab ’18 guides one of the students as she increases the magnification on the microscope in order to see the chloroplasts in a plant cell.

#5: Varsha Subramanian ’17 explains the fine and course focus on the microscope to one of the students.