Merck Funds 32 North Penn AP Chemistry Students On Unique Field Trip

LANSDALE, PA – Thirty-two Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry students from North Penn High School (NPHS) traveled to East Hanover, NJ on Monday, November 30th to celebrate Organic Chemistry Day in a real, industry science lab as part of the Students 2 Science Program generously funded by a grant from Merck for the 2015-2016 school year, the school district said in a press release.

The North Penn School District (NPSD) was extremely fortunate to receive a generous grant from Merck to fund a program targeted for secondary students interested in careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), called “Students 2 Science.”

This program provides learning opportunities aimed to encourage students to pursue careers in science and particular STEM careers by, “conducting challenging experiments side-by-side with professional scientists in a real lab and using sophisticated laboratory instruments to create a positive and memorable experience for students,” according to Students2Science.org.

NPHS teachers Mr. Mark Keagy and Mrs. Nina Ferrant accompanied these 32 AP Chemistry students to the Students 2 Science Laboratory as they completed Organic Chemistry experiments. Earlier last month, 46 middle school students from Pennbrook, Penndale and Pennfield had the opportunity to travel to the same facility for a similar experience on November 9th, 2015.

“This exceptional program gives students the opportunity to really explore and work one-on-one with a real scientist,” said NPSD Secondary STEM Curriculum Supervisor Ketty Kaminsky, who joined students on the trip.

NPSD middle school teachers Mr. Pat Palus, Mr. James Shoemaker and Mrs. Jacqueline Kelley also supervised students at the Students 2 Science Lab. A third and final trip for 48 additional middle school students is scheduled for March 2016 as part of the Students 2 Science program. Students are selected based on interest in the STEM field and are drawn randomly by a lottery system.

To ensure that the grant from Merck reaches each of our students in the North Penn School District, it is also being utilized to provide peer-teacher workshops to staff in the district.

Teachers certified by the Merck Institute for Science Education (MISE) Academy will host NPSD staff teaching grades K-12 five times a year to review the standards of science practices.

The North Penn School District would like to thank Merck for their generous donation as well as those involved in the Students 2 Science program for helping to pique the interest of students considering a career in STEM by providing them hands-on, educational experiences in the field.

Image courtesy North Penn School District.