CivicSciTV - Questions of the Day
Letters to a Pre-Scientist is on a mission to broaden students’ awareness of STEM through snail mail
Fanuel Muindi interviews Lucy Madden, founding CEO of Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS), an organization connecting middle school students in low-income schools with STEM professionals through handwritten letters.
Madden reflects on the program’s origins, its mission to humanize scientists, and its evolution into a nonprofit reaching 17 states. Key themes include fostering STEM interest among underrepresented students, challenges in scaling, and the reciprocal benefits for scientists. Madden shares, “The humanizing piece is special; kids are surprised to learn their STEM professional has a dog or plays video games.”
She also discusses lessons from participating in the inaugural Science Sandbox Fellowship, and emphasizes LPS’s unique role in driving resources into science classrooms.
YouTube Chapters
0:00 CivicSciTV Intro
0:16 QOTD Intro
0:36 Previously on QOTD
1:02 Program Overview
2:18 LPS Beginnings
4:15 LPS Evolution
6:01 Letter Exchange Process
7:30 Recruiting Scientists
10:21 Capacity Challenges
12:11 Evaluating Impact
15:18 Student Outcomes
19:36 Data Challenges
21:27 Humanizing STEM
25:20 Scientist Training
29:56 Broader Impacts
32:09 Volunteer Retention
34:06 Science Sandbox Fellowship
38:51 Advice for Founders
Fanuel Muindi is a former neuroscientist turned civic science ethnographer. He is a Professor of Practice in the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University where he leads the Civic Science Media Lab. Dr. Muindi received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology and PhD in Organismal Biology from Morehouse College and Stanford University respectively. He completed his postdoctoral training at MIT.
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