In 2022, our small but passionate team took its first bold step into the world of science outreach, thanks to the support of IndiaBioscience Outreach Grants (IOG). We were excited to be one of five teams across India to win this award and were overjoyed to take science outside the walls of the lab. With a shared dream of making science exciting and accessible—especially for school students—we began a journey that would transform classrooms, spark curiosity, light a path toward STEM careers and most importantly give opportunity to students to perform experiments themselves and not just see demonstrations.
Our mission was simple yet powerful: “Empower young minds by making genetics fun, relatable, and interactive”. We brought science out of the textbooks and into the hearts of school students and biology teachers through hands-on activities, fun facts, storytelling, and most importantly, the opportunity to ask questions and interact with scientists themselves. Each event filled our hearts with the joy of knowing that we were making an impact.
Building on Momentum: The COMPASS Outreach Grant
Building on that success, we were thrilled to be funded again—this time by a COMPASS Outreach Grant funded by the American Society of Cell Biology awarded to Dr. Chandana Basu, one of our co-founders. With renewed energy, we set out to deepen students’ scientific aptitude and introduce them early to the world of genetics through using comics, stories, and vibrant visuals. This time the event was for students of Central Hindu Girls School, BHU. Events that engage and inspire future women STEM leaders are very much needed in India, as most women here exit science after graduation or masters. A total of 125 students (Class 8-11) attended the event. We had a diverse team of volunteers for the event, including Dr. Archana Tiwari (Department of Physics), Dr. Garima Jain (Central Discovery Centre, BHU), Dr. Chandana Basu (Centre For Genetic Disorders, BHU), Ms. Olivia Majhi (Department of Zoology), Ms. Tanya Tibriwal (Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture, BHU) and Ms. Debashree Das and Mr. Vishal.
A Day Full of Stories, Science, and Self-Discovery
It was a bright sunny day and we were excited to be in our GENETIKS4U T-shirts, which had just arrived. Our first talk was by Ms Olivia Majhi who talked about unconventional STEM careers and ways to pursue them. The students showed their appreciation by doing jazz hands. It was great to see young women taking interest. This activity ended with a small quiz. To one of the students this session was extremely motivating. She said “Ms Olivia ma’am explained about science journalism and policy in the lecture, which i found to be very exciting and interesting at the same time because I’ve not even heard about this career opportunity before…And I was really amazed what’ll they do in this…even after the lecture I did some research on this.’’
Dr Archana then talked to students telling them how she got interested in Physics and how science plays an instrumental role in our lives and if we look around we can find science everywhere. She explained the phenomenon of light and fondly remembered how a keen observation by her daughter followed by her query led to her study design.
Ms Tibriwal explained how fascinating the field of archeology is for her and what precautions they need to take while sampling. She also explained how she got into the field. The day was packed with excitement, from inspiring career guidance talks by scientists and STEM professionals, to energetic Q&A sessions that made careers in science feel both accessible and thrilling. For many students, it was the first time they could see themselves as future scientists.
Clay, Creativity, and Cells: The Hands-On Workshop
We then arrived at our most exciting part of the “Crafting Cells with Clay” workshop. Students were divided into groups of six, given tools and colored clay and foam board and they were all set to fill the canvas with their creativity and their own versions of the cell. Dr Garima explained the different parts of the cell and what each of the structures looked like. Soon we had an array of cell models set up. We were amazed at how quickly the students grasped the info and built brilliant models. The teachers soon exclaimed “Now with this fun activity they will never ever forget the structure of the cell” and they shared their plans to integrate our methods into their own biology lessons. Principal Mr. Pankaj Gupta said “It was a very engaging session as students got to learn about parts of the cell through a fun and interactive session. These kinds of innovative approaches in teaching are very useful. I am thankful to BHU scientists for empowering and inspiring our students.”
Five of the best model cells were chosen and given prizes that included an illustrated comic book created by Learn with comics and The comic library called “DNA-Code of Life”. These comics became treasured souvenirs—both fun and informative. At the start of the workshop, while the students were getting acquainted with different STEM careers, we asked “How many of you want to become scientists?’’ and we were disappointed to see just a few hands. When we repeated the question at the end of the day, we were overwhelmed to see more than 30 hands that shot up.
Students were asked to give feedback through google forms but some of them were so excited about writing on our white board, so they elected to give us feedback there. The smiles on their faces and their running to write their notes on the whiteboard said as much as their words themselves. The workshop didn’t just teach biology—it nurtured critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. It also proved that science can be joyful, inclusive, and inspiring. We could make it happen with the incredible support of ASCB’s COMPASS Outreach Grant.
As we returned to our university, we found ourselves scrolling through photos, browsing through the feedback forms, and smiling from ear to ear. This felt like a humble beginning—a reminder that the future of STEM is bright and that with continued effort, we can inspire more young women to imagine themselves as scientists, explorers, and innovators. We encourage more researchers to apply for this grant and educate others about the exciting science they do. Trust us, the real interaction is impactful as students get out of their comfort zones, ask questions, get to know about different subjects and the stereotype of scientists with havelled hair definitely fades away.
Authors
Ms Pooja Rani (Project Coordinator, GENETIKS4U), Dr Garima Jain ( CoFounder, Genetiks4U and Scientist, BHU, India), Ms Nandini Chilakam (Cofounder, Genetiks4U, Learn with comics, The comic Library), Dr Chandana Basu (Cofounder, GENETIKS4U and Scientist, BHU, India).
About the Author:
This post was collaboratively written by several ASCB staff members.
