Mobile Bioengineering Lab: Increasing Multilingual STEM Outreach for Local Schools
Abstract: The Mobile Bioengineering Lab is designed to provide hands-on learning experiences in life sciences to underserved students within the Champaign-Urbana community. We aim to introduce accessible and exciting aspects of bioengineering to students who have had limited exposure to engineering, intending to develop long-term interests in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and promote inclusion within these fields. This outreach initiative was initially conducted as a collaboration between an 8th-grade science classroom at International Prep Academy and the Biomedical Engineering Journal Club, a university Registered Student Organization (RSO), in Fall 2024. We have plans to expand the initiative throughout the community in 2025-2026
Groups Engaged: K-8
Team Members:
- Caroline Cvetkovic (PI)
- Holly Golecki
- Katie Zobus
- Shriya Wagholikar
- Asheera Kaul
Publications:
- Zobus, K., Wagholikar, S., Kaul, A., Golecki, H.M., Cvetkovic, C. Assessing the Impact of Inclusive STEM Outreach with Near-Peer Mentorship in a Middle School Mobile Bioengineering Program (Evaluation) ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Charlotte, North Carolina. (June 2026)
- Zobus, K., Cvetkovic, C., Mobile Bioengineering Lab: A Hands-On Workshop Series to Bring Experiments to 8th Grade Science Classes. I ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (June 2025) https://doi.org/10.18260/1-2--56972