During Fall Semester 2020 every member of the Larson research group participated in at least one outreach activity as a pilot “experiment” for requiring formal outreach activities of all undergraduate researchers in the Larson research group. Each of the five undergraduate students in the laboratory participated in discussions on outreach and inclusion and engaged in various biology-related outreach activities of their own choosing.
Students volunteered to serve as biology tutors for primary and secondary school students in Charlottesville and Albemarle county public schools through UVA Madison House (https://www.madisonhouse.org/overview-tutoring), while others tutored adults through the Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle (www.literacyforall.org).
At the conclusion of the semester, the undergraduate researchers were enthusiastic about including outreach as a standard requirement for being considered an active member of the Larson laboratory moving forward.
During the pandemic the outreach activities of the undergraduate researchers has been limited to virtual-only programs. The undergraduate researchers are very excited to be able to expand their outreach as soon as in-person activities can commence.