Physics and Community Engagement: Promoting Social Justice with Science Bryce Davis Bohon
by
Trinity Munson
with Dr. Dannielle Joy Davis Deborah Bush-Munson Evelyn Washington With financial support from a Saint Louis University 1818 Community Engagement Grant, the Circle of Excellence Network Science Team of Missouri and physics teacher Mrs. Evelyn Washington of Tanzania partnered to create a culturally relevant science opportunity for middle-school St. Louis youth. The Science Team, founded by Bryce Davis Bohon, was able to delve into various applications of physics through participation in Washington’s “Physics of the Pharaohs” course. The underrepresented young team was encouraged to consider future STEM careers in the field and were also awarded memberships to the National Association of Black Physicists. Hence, our intended goal of offering culturally relevant science education was met. Impact Summary Total Number of People Impacted: 7 students Population: African American and multiracial Age Range: 11–13 years Grade Levels: 6th–8th Gender: 3 girls and 4 boys Personal Growth and Development As a leader of the program, Dr. Davis’s connections with participants and their families strengthened. The grant allowed her to pursue and expand her work despite the COVID-19 pandemic. In past work, Davis has observed the importance of minority representation and intersectionality within curriculum and while learning STEM subjects (Davis et al., 2015), which is a missing component in most public and private schools that underrepresented children attend (Le & Matias, 2019; Page et al., 2018; Parsons et al., 2008; Wright et al., 2016). 202
