Imagine no limits whatsoever. If you could do ONE THING to interest more young people in SCIENCE, what would that be? Click through to read some compelling ideas from others…

1. Scott Heimlich, Ed.D.
@heimlich_scott
Amgen Foundation
Blue SkyThinking to Inspire
Young People in Science
(Part 2 of 2)

2. I’ve always been interested in answers to big questions. In ideas
that are thoughtful and creative and unique. Such ideas at times
emerge from decades of experience in education and science, in
other cases they come from someone you’d least expect.
Here’s my question:
Imagine no limits whatsoever. If you could do one
thing to interest more young people in science,
what would that be?
Click through to read some compelling thoughts from others...

3. “It wasTV that exposed me to science… so if I could do one thing to inspire young
scientists, it would be aTV show—the show would not only expose viewers to all kinds of
science but would show them that there is a place in science for them! Scientists can look
like you or me, can have disabilities, can be bad at math!”
Alia Qatarneh, Scientist and Educator
And check out her raps about science at https://soundcloud.com/alia-qatarneh

4. “Provide students with rich opportunities for discovery, including outside of the traditional
classroom.Then, let them go.... wherever their curiosity takes them—encourage them,
guide them, and support them with the resources they need (the sky's the limit) to help
them find answers to their questions.”
Ms. Ann Cortina, Science Teacher, West High School

5. “A role model showing that the pursuit of science is a habit and can complement with other
cool professions (personally I would love to meet a chic, fashion female scientist that is also
part of a K-POP dance crew.) I wish, in reality, scientists don’t have to constantly stress
about writing grants and losing the lab, and can choose to live an interesting, boundless
life—if a researcher can be a doctor at the same time, then why not aYouTuber, a dancer, or
even an award-winning chef?”
Karen Mao, 2019 Amgen Scholar

6. “Immersing students in an experience that accurately reflects an authentic laboratory
exploration, using both equipment and techniques to solve a real-world problem. Ideally,
the exploration would require students to implement rational approaches to problem
solving and using these skills to explore other world problems.”.
Marty Ikkanda, Professor of Biological Sciences and Founding Director of the Amgen Biotech Experience

7. “I believe young people
(and people of all ages
for that matter) learn by
doing, so I would launch
the annual “The STEM in
U Symposium”.This
would be a symposium
specifically for young
people where they could
choose to be a scientist,
engineer, technologist,
or mathematician
(throughout the course
of the symposium) and
would serve the purpose
of identifying which of
the four disciplines of
STEM does the young
person possess and
exposing them to their
interest in a creative
manner.”
Corshai Williams, Doctoral
Student, MIT, &
Amgen Scholars Alumnus

8. “I would have each student pursue a question that interests them with passion, good
science, and an available mentor.”
Dr. Sandra Slivka, Director, Southern California Biotechnology Center at San Diego Miramar College

9. “I would let young people identify and solve the problems they want to solve through
STEM. By empowering youth to become change agents in their community and take
charge of their education, we create better leaders and problem solvers of tomorrow.”
David Coronado, Program Officer, Lemelson Foundation

10. “I will recruit, encourage and reward the most engaging teachers to be leaders of
classrooms without boundaries. Where traditional subjects are not relevant, but real-life
problems and applications guide education.”
Dr. Hector Ayala-del-Rio, Professor, University of Puerto Rico Humacao,
and Director, Amgen Biotech Experience in Puerto Rico

11. “Young people all over our
world want to help others to
live their lives well, and they
come into the world idealistic,
bold and with the vision and
energy directed at their
idealism. Over their early
elementary years, this
idealism is driven from them
by the education system and
the adults around them who
ask them for regurgitation
and for them to live a safe and
risk-less life… we need our
children to feel that science
provides a portal to helping
others, healing the sick and
understanding how the world
works—this comes from
capstone projects that
address science’s grandest
challenges.”
Dr. Jan Morrison, President & CEO
of theTeaching Institute for
Excellence in STEM (TIES)

12. Philanthropy too often has a major failing. And that happens when foundations, governments, and really
any entity designs an intervention for impact on specific populations without ever speaking, asking or
listening to those they’re trying to impact.
So to that end, I asked young people (however you want to define that) the same question:
Imagine no limits whatsoever. If you could do one thing to interest more young
people in science, what would that be?

13. “Take kids to go see some of the things happening to the environment in person – actually
see the glaciers that are melting in the North Pole, and visit other places like that.Then
make it clear what they can do.”
Sydney, Age 13

14. “I’d make one of those compelling visual experiments onYouTube. One that truly goes viral
and starts trending.”
Logan, 17

15. “Help everyone find things to recycle.Then help them with DIY (Do-It-Yourself) activities
to figure out how to make something that they can use – or that other people can use –
with those materials.”
Kylie, Age 13

16. I’ll end with one more thought.
A few years ago, an Amgen scientist
was asked what sparked her interest in
science.The exchange went something
like this and occurred decades ago.
Teen to her ScienceTeacher:
“So how does that work?”
Teacher toTeen: “I don’t know.”
Teen: “What do you mean you don’t
know?”
Teacher: “I really don’t know.We don’t
know that yet.”
Teen: “You mean it’s not in our book. No
one knows that?”
Teacher: “No one knows that.We don’t
understand it yet.”
A scientist was born out of that
exchange long ago in a science
classroom.To that point, the student
hadn’t realized that there were things
out there that we literally did not know
the answer to—and that science played
a role in advancing knowledge and
learning new things.That a researcher
in a lab today can discover and learn
something that no one else on Earth
knows or has seen.
That was exciting.That was the initial
spark that led her to a long career in
science that’s still ongoing. How many
young people are cognizant of how
much we don’t know?

17. Thank you to all who generously shared their responses to the question.
I’d love to hear your answer to this question in the comments below. Here’s the prompt again:
Imagine no limits whatsoever. If you could do one thing to interest more young
people in science, what would that be?

18. The Amgen Foundation seeks to inspire the next generation of innovators and to deepen
scientific literacy for all.We focus on making science possible for young people everywhere.
Learn more about the Foundation’s commitment at amgeninspires.com, and
follow @AmgenFoundation onTwitter. You can also find me onTwitter at @heimlich_scott.
You can find other past articles and select posts here:
▪ Blue SkyThinking to InspireYoung People in Science – Part 1
▪ THE POSSIBILITIES LIEWITHIN US
▪ Panel at theAtlantic Education Summit 2019 with Amgen Scholars Enrique Rivera-Garcia andCorshai Williams
▪ HOW DOWE MEASURE SUCCESS?Thoughts on Soccer Goals, Social Impact, and Surgical Errors
▪ At theTop ofTheir Game: Messi, Gates &Wooten not only share great talent, but also opportunity & an
environment that allowed their talent to thrive
▪ Talent is Universal – Opportunity is Not
▪ Closing remarks on behalf of theAmgen Foundation on STEM Education Day at the National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
▪ SXSW EDU 2019 – FinalTwo Days (for me)
▪ South by Southwest (SXSW) EDU – DayOne
▪ Panel and a Podcast: Science Investigation Matters forTeens, and the 'Opening-Doors' Philosophy behind
Amgen Scholars
▪ Sharing Stories and Lessons Learned with Other Funders: I had the opportunity to discuss theAmgen
Foundation with Southern California Grantmakers