EASE (Effective Authentic Science Event) is a one-day outreach program designed to expose middle school students to nontraditional STEM careers and to feature your community college as a great first choice for STEM education. Students will visit your campus, interact with your faculty/staff, and use engaging hands-on STEM activities to solve a mystery.
EASE combines video with realistic hands-on activities that highlight the science behind forensics. First, students watch a short film that sets the stage for a crime scene investigation. Students run the crime lab and use forensic science to test each piece of evidence. Experiments include electrophoresis, chromatography, blood typing, tread analysis, and powder identification.
Middle School is a critical age for career exploration. We provide all materials to make it easy for your college to reach out to these students. With the ready-to-go EASE program, you'll introduce future students to faculty, facilities, and programs. Impress your community stakeholders, administration and board of trustees. An event like this is guaranteed to bring positive press to your campus.
Why Middle School?
The life science industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in North Carolina. Yet most students are unaware of the wide range of career opportunities available. Middle school is a critical age for career exploration and is identified by researchers as the time when students begin to lose interest in STEM. By reaching these students early, there is an increased chance we can beat the decline, introduce future students to the Career & College Promise program, and make them aware of the diversity of educational opportunities available locally.
Only North Carolina Community Colleges can request an EASE Event.
If you are a North Carolina middle school, we recommend reaching out to your local community college to see if they would be interested in hosting. If you are need help connecting with your local community college, please use the contact information below!
Complete our STEM Event Request Form to request an EASE Event.
Please note that EASE is a proprietary resource of BioNetwork. We do not disclose or share any activities, designs, or resources associated with EASE. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is strictly prohibited.
Utilize our General Program Development Guide that was developed to guide educators and organizations interested in starting a similar program.
EASE Pilot Program
VideoStudents at West Craven Middle school were our guinea pigs; they…
Forensic Science
VideoA woman goes missing during filming of a paranormal reality TV show. Is her…
Outbreak
VideoA chef’s dreams are ruined when a sudden outbreak occurs onboard a cruise…
Our outreach programs include classroom visits, faculty training workshops, and career fairs that help connect bioscience industry skills with K12 and community college STEM education.
Contact us at engage@ncbionetwork.org for more information.
Courtney Behrle, Senior Director of STEM Outreach
252-493-7299