Department's Office of Minority Student Initiatives:
Project "Sci-X" Host Area Students

Since 1992, under the direction of, the WSU Chemistry Department has offered an outreach component (directed primarily at minorities) through the office of Minority Student Initiatives Department of Chemistry Wayne State University (Initiative). This has been accomplished via a series of programs that extend through the entire year such as ACT Prep, Science Bowl, Project SEED, and visits to area schools-- to name a few.

The Initiative also gained experience in hosting students on the university's campus from interactions with structures such as the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Science Outreach Committee and the King, Chavez, & Parks College Day Mentorship program. These experiences, along with the support of selected faculty within the chemistry department, led the Initiative to branch out and extend invitations to area schools (grades 7 - 12). These schools would come to the campus and be exposed to a "science-centered interaction." This interaction/program is called the WSU Science Experience or "WSU-Sci-X."

This (primarily chemistry) interaction is composed of a combination of the following: demonstrations, dialogue with faculty, hands-on component, as well as possible visits to research laboratories. Furthermore, this experience could be developed to include a request from the visiting school's to go to other departments within the WSU College of Liberal Arts and Science, visits to the Detroit Science Center as ell as other educational features in the cultural area.

Clearly, with all the options provided above, each visit can be tailored to a school's needs in terms of an exposure from a couple of hours to a day long experience. The interactions are designed to reinforce the science taught to the students, particularly chemistry. Furthermore, an added component is, these visits expose students to new concepts and areas of science.

Ideally, the Initiative would like faculty to host each school, which are scheduled on a monthly basis throughout the school year. This project is heavily associated with the pre-college outreach efforts of WSU Chemistry faculty Alex Benderskii (high school)and David Rueda (middle school), as well as Emil Lozanov; the project's primary demonstrations coordinator. These individuals are key and have established the foundation of this project and the subsequent efforts planned in the future.

Lastly, this project is an excellent vehicle for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels that may want to volunteer their time, especially on the tours and the hands-on components of this effort.