The Bio/Diversity Project Updates

In March 2020, our environmental science outreach program to K-12 students suddenly and unexpectedly transitioned online due to the University of Arizona taking necessary precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. The Spring interns at the University of Arizona interns involved in The Bio/Diversity Project did a tremendous job of maintaining effective communication and completing required assignments even though many of them were working from various communities around the US, rather than on campus. In learning from this experience, we spent the summer designing the Fall 2020 Bio/Diversity Project to be a 100% remote internship, where University of Arizona students teach engaging environmental science lessons about the Sonoran Desert via Zoom to 5th-10th grade students in Tucson. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue running this incredible outreach program while maintaining COVID-19 safety protocols and accommodating to many students who are currently living outside of Tucson. In this time of uncertainty, we are glad to be able to provide young scholars consistent opportunities to engage with the natural world around us and to see themselves as scientists.