August 16, 2021
As educators and students return to class this fall, Carolina Biological has launched the Young Innovators program to highlight student inventions and inspire students and teachers to see that all students can succeed in STEM. The program’s website launched with profiles of 12 Young Innovators and will recognize the accomplishments of diverse Young Innovators every month so that all students will see someone that they can relate to. These high-interest profiles engage students in learning science, while promoting equity and inclusion. Individual profile pages and free downloadable literacy cards for each Young Innovator are available in a choice of grade-appropriate K–12 reading levels in English and Spanish. Suggestions are also provided for teachers to use these stories with their students. One of the first Innovators of the Month to be featured is six-year old Robert Samuel “Sam” White III. Sam, whose new take on a traditional ABC song encourages other children to think about the jobs they could have, as they learn the letters of the alphabet. Carolina Biological is searching for more Young Innovators to highlight, so teachers are encouraged to nominate their students on the program’s website—and receive a free poster!