When Mr. Rodney – that’s Rodney Conyers Jr., youth development director of the Panther Pack, Morton Magnet Middle Boys & Girls Club — visited the Omaha Children’s museum last summer, he noticed the idea of dress up was hugely impactful for kids. Putting on a uniform allowed them to dream even more deeply and immerse themselves in new possibilities.
The Boys & Girls Club engage in all kinds of after-school science activities at Morton. But Mr. Rodney thought to himself the kids could take it to another level “if they were allowed to put on lab coats and look and feel the part of a scientist.”
He immediately set about finding some scientist white coats, and asked BCG of the Midlands director of operations Stephanie Sorensen about purchasing some. She in turn reached out to UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD, who sits on the BCG of the Midlands board.
Turns out, Dr. Davies had some connections.
And that’s when UNMC, and the Graduate Student Association (GSA) got involved. The graduate students organized, activated and brought in UNMC’s Office of Sustainability to find these kids some coats.
It wasn’t long before the kids at Morton Magnet Middle School were proudly wearing their new authentic UNMC scientist lab coats.
“These lab coats mean everything to our members here at Morton Club,” Mr. Rodney said. The adults had been wanting to step up the STEM programming. The coats came just in time to give the kids’ enthusiasm for science a kick start.
“It gives them the feeling of actually being inside the laboratory, and they love it so much,” Mr. Rodney said. “Our members love the larger than life feel the lab coats bring and gives them that look into what college may be like for them in the future.”
But the partnership between UNMC and Morton Boys and Girls Club was just getting started.
The GSA and UNMC Graduate Studies took part in the annual Thanksgiving-themed Family Night at Morton Magnet Middle School. The night featured togetherness, Thanksgiving dinner, turkey giveaways and science outreach.
“Graduate student volunteers demonstrated a simple DNA extraction from strawberries and spoke with students and families about the importance of genetic material and traits—such as why children often resemble their parents,” said Annant Kaur, president of GSA.
“What started as an ask for lab coats from Mr. Rodney to help bring more creativity to our STEM programming has now turned into a full-on relationship between Morton Club and UNMC’s Graduate Student Association and we couldn’t be more ecstatic!” reported the Panther Pack Torch Club’s student newspaper Morton Monthly.
Both sides vow to continue the partnership, looking for more collaborative activities in the months to come.