RivCo School Partners With Stanford To Test Foldable Microscope

From Val Verde Unified School District: Since 2015, the Rancho Verde High School science department has been part of a worldwide beta test for a new concept in field science. The Foldscope has been developed to provide a foldable microscope made mostly of paper, with a cost of goods less than one U.S. dollar. The inspiration for the Foldscope came from field visits around the world where a Stanford University team continually encountered bulky, broken microscopes, or a lack of microscopes entirely.

Co-inventors, Manu Prakash and Jim Cybulski at Stanford University began the Foldscope beta testing pilot program in 2014. By late 2015, the project distributed 60,000 Foldscopes to 135+ countries, and asked
recipients to contribute findings to an online community. Rancho Verde High School was one of those contributors. Based on user feedback, features were added to Foldscope to make it even more effective.

As of December 2017, 1,000,000 Foldscopes have been distributed, with Rancho Verde science department receiving 60 Foldscopes for our continued participation in the program. Rancho Verde students have constructed and utilized those Foldscopes to investigate rock and mineral crystals and
microorganisms.

“When our science department read about Stanford University developing an inexpensive microscope to help developing countries with science, we were excited to bring Rancho Verde students into the global community and increase their vision beyond California” said Bruce Hill, teacher at Rancho Verde High School.

“This collaboration with Stanford University was a great opportunity to expose our students to real life experiences that encourage the use of the 4 C’s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Communication, and Collaboration. At Val Verde Unified School District we are committed to ensuring that all students are future ready and are grateful to Stanford for affording an opportunity to aid in that pursuit with this unique program,” said Superintendent Michael R. McCormick.

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