Twice a week, USC students visit Murchison Street Elementary School in East Los Angeles to lead hands-on science projects with third- through fifth-graders. In one project, medical students from the Department of Ophthalmology in the Keck School of Medicine of USC explain the terms and functions of the eye’s parts. In another, students from the medical school’s physical therapy program measure the youngsters’ strength and flexibility.
“They get excited, even giddy, when they participate in the hands-on projects,” said Principal Margarita Gutierrez. “We’ve also seen steady growth in the fifth-graders’ scores on the state science tests. Science proficiency has risen from seven percent in 2005 to 37 percent in 2011.”
Murchison participates in USC’s Science for Life outreach program for elementary-school students. It is also one of 15 schools in the USC Family of Schools. All receive help with the educational, cultural, and developmental needs of more than 17,000 children in the communities surrounding the University Park and Health Sciences campuses.
Included in the cultural component at Murchison is a guitar class led by students from the USC Thornton School of Music. “The freeway, a factory, and railroad tracks are what our students see everyday, and they’re often very limited in their experiences of the city,” Gutierrez said. “So the USC students bring them exposure to the world outside, and what they can strive for and achieve.”
Murchison students also participate in an annual science fair with two other nearby elementary schools.
“The collaboration with USC has been very positive,” Gutierrez said. “It shows children and parents opportunities that are available to them for services, education, and more.”