Before conversations begin about how to handle large groups of teens gathering downtown late at night—especially in places like Market Square—many residents are asking a basic question:

Does Pittsburgh already have a curfew law for minors?

The answer is yes.

In fact, Pittsburgh has had a youth curfew ordinance in place since 1995, though many people are unaware of it because enforcement has historically been inconsistent.

After watching live coverage this week of police shutting down activity in Market Square, where officers were seen trying to move large groups of teens and many young people appeared unwilling to follow repeated commands, the conversation around curfew enforcement has grown louder.

For many viewers, the scene raised an obvious question:

If there is already a curfew, what happens when it is violated?

Under Pittsburgh City Code § 604.03, minors under the age of 17 are generally prohibited from being in public places or business establishments during late-night hours unless they are with a parent or guardian or fall under specific exceptions like work, emergencies, or school-related activities.

• Sunday through Thursday: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Friday and Saturday: Midnight to 6 a.m.

• Sunday through Thursday: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
• Friday and Saturday: Midnight to 6 a.m.

This means that during the school year, many teens in Downtown Pittsburgh after 10 p.m. on weeknights may already be in violation of city code.

Technically, violations can lead to:

• Fines of up to $300
• Citations for both minors and parents
• Potential detention or temporary custody by police until a parent or guardian is contacted

However, in practice, enforcement is often far less aggressive.

Most often, officers attempt to disperse groups first, identify repeat issues, and contact parents when necessary.

Historically, the law has existed more as a preventive tool than a consistently enforced policy.

That may be changing.

Following multiple youth disturbances downtown—including a March 2026 brawl involving nearly 40 juveniles in Market Square—city leaders are under growing pressure from residents, businesses, and visitors to restore order and improve safety.

When crowds grow, fights break out, or officers are ignored, many people begin asking whether curfew enforcement should be stronger.

Some say yes.

Others warn that aggressive enforcement alone will not solve the problem.

This is where the debate begins.

Should police strictly enforce curfew and issue citations?

Should parents face stronger accountability?

Should youth be banned from certain areas after certain hours?

Or should the city focus more on prevention than punishment?

Many community leaders argue that curfew should be enforced—but paired with real alternatives.

That means:

• Summer jobs
• Recreation centers
• Youth programs
• Mentorship
• Violence interrupters
• Safe gathering spaces
• Transportation access
• Mental health support

Because asking teens to leave somewhere means little if they have nowhere safe to go.

Police officers in Market Square are often responding to immediate concerns—fights, crowd control, business disruptions, and public safety risks.

But trust matters too.

Many families worry that over-policing young people—especially Black teens—can create long-term harm if not handled carefully.

That is why city leaders have increasingly focused on a “proactive engagement” model that includes nonprofits like AIM (Achieve, Inspire, Motivate) and youth spaces like Auberle’s 412 Youth Zone.

Before Pittsburgh creates new policies, residents should understand that a curfew law already exists.

The bigger issue may not be whether we need new rules—but whether we are willing to consistently enforce the ones already in place, while also investing in the resources young people need to succeed.

Because curfew alone cannot solve what is often a deeper issue:

Lack of opportunity, supervision, and safe places for youth to belong.

And as summer approaches, Pittsburgh will once again be tested on whether it chooses reaction—or real prevention.

We were honored to be featured in the latest episode of the Federation of State Humanities Councils' podcast: Humanities = Empowering Teen Leaders. Julia Katz, our Education Program Manager, was interviewed alongside the Youth-Led Humanities team at Sayre Public Library, including two middle school participants. Together, they discussed the importance of the humanities in positive youth development and community leadership. 

The podcast was released during Humanities Council Week, as part of National Arts & Humanities Month. 

It’s true that youth are the future, but we have to give them the tools and skills to make it a good one. In this episode, we’re taking a closer look at two programs using the humanities and public libraries to inspire and empower teens to speak up and play an active role in their communities. In Montana, the Democracy Project from Humanities Montana brings teens together via their local library to learn about civics and design a project to meet a need in their community. In Pennsylvania, PA Humanities’ Youth Led Humanities provides funding and support to libraries for humanities clubs and projects that let teens take the lead. Both these programs aim to give teens opportunities to lead, find their voice, and understand how much power they have to tackle problems and make positive change in their schools and communities. 

Get the transcript.

Listen now >

Oday Abushaban first heard about Pitt Bio Outreach when his older brother mentioned a summer program where students could learn about microbiology and participate in research labs. As a high schooler, Abushaban wasn’t sure what career he wanted to pursue, but knew working in a lab would be the best way for him to decide what areas of science interested him most.

So, he joined the Gene Team. Founded in 2006, the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biological Sciences program teaches high school students in the Pittsburgh area about biological sciences and provides college preparatory mentoring. It is part of the National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliance and was one of six STEM PUSH Network precollege programs to earn a first-of-its-kind accreditation from Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools for broadening STEM opportunities for Black, Latino and Indigenous students. 

Through the program, Abushaban taught people about what microbiologists do at festivals and events like STEM Day at the Carnegie Science Center, outreach he says is critical to engage students in science. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as a peer mentor and helped guide students through microbiology experiments while quarantining at home. 

“It is awesome to see the faces of kids getting excited to engage in science, as those same kids will be the doctors, engineers and mathematicians of the future,” Abushaban said.

Now a junior in the Swanson School of Engineering, Abushaban says it was through Pitt Bio Outreach that he was able to connect with organizations like the Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania, where he was hired to make lab procedural videos to help students follow along with the experiments, as reading instructions poses a barrier for some kids. 

While microbiology is far from computer engineering, Abushaban says their shared scientific method aspects remain crucial to his writing and research. He credits Pitt Bio Outreach director Rebecca Gonda with bringing him to Pitt — and he wants to continue giving back.

“Pitt Bio Outreach has truly taught me a lot about microbiology, but more so about encouraging others out there to explore science and get involved.”

— Angie Judson, photography by Rebecca Gonda

The STEM PUSH Network is operated by the Broadening Equity in STEM Center (BE STEM) at Pitt and was originally funded by the Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Alliance of The National Science Foundation. STEM PUSH is a partnership of researchers, educators and practitioners that leverages the deep expertise of faculty and staff from Pitt’s Dietrich School, School of Education, School of Computing and Information and School of Medicine, along with two academic centers: The Learning and Research Development Center and The Center for Urban Education.

Source: Pittwire

The mission of Gwen's Girls  is to empower girls and young women to have productive lives through holistic, gender-specific programs, education, and experiences.  Why Girls? It is reported that 

42% girls in the United States now live in low-income families, and 1 in 5 below the poverty line (State of Girls 2013). Growing up in a low-income home increases a girl’s likelihood to encounter physical, emotional and behavioral hurdles. They are a higher risk for various social challenges including:

violence

abandonment and family dysfunction

sexist, racist or homophobic messages

abuse and exploitation

teen pregnancy

negative peer influences

academic failure

low self-esteem

Few services exist to help these girls. Without support, it seems like these girls’ futures are predetermined – and they are part of a cycle that is doomed to repeat. 

PUM catches up with  Dr. Kathi Elliott, CEO of Gwen’s Girls to learn more about the various solutions Gwen’s Girls is offering, including holistic, gender-specific programs, education, and experiences for Allegheny County’s at-risk children and young adults. More importantly, the organization offers a safe space where girls and young women can form relationships, build self-esteem and gain resiliency.

PUM: Tell us more about Gwen's Girls, it's mission and how it is enhancing the lives of Black girls from the Pittsburgh region?

Dr. Kathi Elliott: For over 20 years, Gwen’s Girls has provided educational opportunities, emotional support and enrichment experiences that have improved the quality of life for at-risk girls in the Pittsburgh region. Our prevention and intervention programs have helped over 6,000 girls and young women transform their lives and achieve economic self-sufficiency. They also enable girls to realize their individual strengths and potential and – as a result – become contributing members of society.

 PUM:  Recently your organization was presented with proclamations from county Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey honoring Black Girls Equity Month and the contributions of Gwen’s Girls to raise awareness and address the systemic racial biases that contribute to the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.  Tell us more about how your organization is addressing the systemic racial biases in this region for Black girls.

Dr. Kathi Elliott: Gwen’s Girls, in partnership with the Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA) and the Gwendolyn J. Elliott Institute (GJEI), have been at the forefront of advancing systemic change around issues that affect Black youth – particularly Black girls. Gwen’s Girls has the expertise, mechanisms for convening stakeholders, and networks in place to reduce local racial and ethnic disparities in Allegheny County’s juvenile justice system. In Pittsburgh, where Black girls are 10 times more likely than their white peers to be referred to the juvenile justice system, Gwen’s Girls has created programming and community outreach that supports the unique needs of Black girls while providing the expertise to affect policy and create systems-wide change.

PUM: Black girls face tremendous challenges when it comes to Education, health, wellness and

 trauma-informed care, reproductive justice, comprehensive sex education, commercial sex exploitation, juvenile justice, and child welfare. Tell us more about how Gwen's Girls is helping to address these important issues through your various programs. 

 Dr. Kathi Elliott:  We know that our girls have limitless potential, but so many face obstacles that threaten to stand in their way. Many of our girls live in neighborhoods with high rates of poverty, crime and violence. Gwen’s Girls hopes to continue to put these girls on a level playing field by providing high quality, gender-responsive programs, education and experiences. Our programs at Gwen’s Girls are designed to help girls realize their individual strengths, transform their lives and become essential and valued members of society. We believe that, when given the opportunity, any girl can succeed.

In addition to our after-school and community-based programs and services, Gwen’s Girls has a number of specialized programs to support high-school aged youth:

The BGALA Program stands for Black Girls Advocacy Leadership Alliance.  BGALA is a program for our Gwen’s Girls that are in high school, ages 14 to 18 years old. The program allows our girls to express themselves in a positive and judgement free environment. BGALA teaches the girls how to develop skills and use their voice and advocate against things such as adultification, colorism, and other social injustices facing black girls today. BGALA also empower the girls to love the skin they’re in, to be leaders in their schools, and their communities.

The S.T.A.R.S. Program stands for Striving to Achieve Resilience & Success. This is a 12–15-week mentoring program that is strength-based, community-based, & youth-driven. S.T.A.R.S. assist court involved, and at-risk youth identify goals by creating a “pathway plan” and making action steps towards self-improvement & empowerment. By pairing the youth with a mentor that guides the youth according to their individualized needs and provide advocacy supports to meet goals and connect them to community resources.

The See the Best In Me program is a prevention, intervention and regional capacity building strategy focused on populations most vulnerable to and/or victims/survivors of sex trafficking in urban and rural communities, with a focus on Allegheny County and surrounding urban and rural counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. Three identified target populations include girls who are Black, involved in the child welfare system, and/or runaway/homeless.

Caring Connections- With the help of the United Way 2-1-1, Gwen’s Girls Caring Connections for YOUth support network has implemented a centralized call center ​that will provide assessment, ​intake, and a community-based referral process for youth 10-21 ​years of age to connect them to preventative and support services. 

PUM:  How is your organization living up to the legacy that your late founder Gwen Elliot, Pittsburgh Police Commander envisioned?  For you overseeing the organization as the CEO what would your mom think about how Gwen's Girls is positively impacting Black girls lives? 

 Dr. Kathi Elliott:  The inspiration for Gwen’s Girls came from my mother, Commander Gwen Elliott. She was truly a trailblazer, and her amazing achievements have inspired many others. I believe that my mother would be proud of the work we’re doing, and will continue to do, to make the world a better place for Black girls and young women.

PUM: Recently your organization hosted your 7th  Annual Black Girls Equity Alliance (BGEA) She Matters: Centering Youth Voice for Systemic Change Summit, what significant goals and information came out of this event? 

 Dr. Kathi Elliott:  By hosting our 7th Annual Summit, we believe we have raised positive awareness about our goal and mission to empower girls and young women to enjoy productive, successful and fulfilling lives. That was the driving force and purpose behind this summit, which is why the theme of the summit was She Matters: Centering Youth Voice for Systemic Change.

The Emerging Leaders from our BGALA program co-planned and co-facilitated the panel discussions and break-out sessions, as well as youth from other programs from across the country.

PUM:  How can the public get involved with your organization? 

Dr. Kathi Elliott:   Anyone who is interested in volunteering or donating to Gwen’s Girls can visit our website at www.gwensgirls.org

The University of Pittsburgh’s Bio Outreach Gene Team is a 4-week summer program that immerses students in an authentic biological research project from one of the research labs in the Department of Biological Sciences. Students work as a team to advance the research while honing their biology and critical thinking skills. This summer a group of high school students have the opportunity to become young  scientists and dive into lab work on a major research project. 

Shady Side Academy freshman Rainier Sky Beckham is excited about the opportunity to participate in the program where she can deepen her interest in science. The Gene Team aims to engage students in current research in Biological Sciences and provide college preparatory mentoring. The programs goal is also to increase participation in biological research from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math. 

15 students from Pittsburgh area schools were selected for this highly competitive summer program that takes place over four weeks. “I am looking forward to participating in this program where I can get hands on experience and learn more about Biology while participating in labs and research," Beckham said. 

The program selected  a group of scientific-minded high school students who want to learn more about Biology while developing laboratory skills.  The students will be immersed in a current research project from a lab at Pitt over the course of the 4-week program.  Additionally, they  will take time to focus on strategies and skills that will be invaluable for applying to and succeeding in college!

The Gene Team was founded in 2006 and is a proud participant in the NSF INCLUDES Alliance, STEM PUSH Network, a national network of precollege programs aiming to increase college enrollment for minoritized students. Gene Team has been accredited by Middles States Association for broadening participation in STEM.

Learn More about Pitts Gene Team Program

Gene Team at The University of Pittsburgh earns first of its kind accreditation for broadening participation in STEM

Gene Team is one of the first pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs) in the U.S. to earn accreditation for its progress in broadening opportunity for Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students in STEM from Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). Gene Team earned the certification for its documented success in providing meaningful out of school programming that preliminary data show increases participation in STEM for under-represented students.

Gene Team aims to engage students in current research in Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh and provide college preparatory mentoring. Gene Team’s goal is to increase participation in biological research from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The MSA-CESS accreditation is a ground-breaking step towards elevating the critical learning and skills development provided by Gene Team through increased visibility and value in the higher education admissions process, promoting greater equity in college admissions. Out-of-school educational programs experiences are disproportionately important for students who systematically have reduced access to advanced STEM experiences in their high schools, and accreditation validates these underrecognized opportunities.

Becky Gonda, Teaching Associate Professor and Director of Outreach in the Department of Biological Sciences states that this is a game-changer for Gene Team students. “This creates a mechanism for admissions officers to understand and recognize our students’ experiences in our program. We are thrilled to be accredited, which can lead to more holistic admissions reviews for our students.”

As a member of the STEM PUSH Network, a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research project, Gene Teamwas part of the inaugural cohort completing a rigorous self-study followed by a site visit from MSA-CESS. Gene Team is one of the first programs to earn accreditation based on documented strengthening along quality standards that are equity centered and designed to broaden participation in STEM. 

The cohort of STEM PUSH PCSPs completed a continuous improvement protocol that included a self-study documenting improvements, evidence, and future goals, followed by site visits from MSA-CESS.

Gene Team’s mission is to increase participation in STEM from groups that have been historically underrepresented by engaging students in current research and providing college preparatory mentoring. The STEM PUSH network has allowed Gene Team program leaders to strengthen their programing to better serve their students and allowed them to learn with other program leaders who are focused on similar missions. With this accreditation, the rigorous and culturally-sustaining STEM experiences that students gain will be made visible to admissions officers. 

STEM PUSH PCSPs are established, intensive, STEM-focused, out-of-school-time programs intentionally serving Black, Latina/o/e, Indigenous, and other underrepresented racially minoritized high schoolers through practices that center equity and prepare students for undergraduate STEM. These programs provide more than 100 hours of programming using curricula that are rigorous and reflective of advances in their various STEM fields.

Preliminary data across the STEM PUSH Network show that students who participate in STEM PUSH programs enroll and persist in STEM at significantly higher rates than those who do not.  Across programs with enough data, 80 percent of Black, Latinae/o/e, and Indigenous students enroll and persist in STEM for more than a year at colleges and universities.

Alison Slinskey Legg, Principal Investigator and Director of The BE STEM Center at University of Pittsburgh, the project’s supporting organization, said the accreditation, and the supporting data are important validations of the power of partnerships and community in providing students with opportunity. 

“This work is challenging, and the conversation around access, admissions, and equity is shifting, but we have a constant in the dedication and talent of educators across the country working together to affect real systems change,” she said.

“This accreditation–and the results that we’re seeing– prove the collective can accomplish what no one program can, and we’re thrilled for our PCSP and admission partners, but most of all for the students who will ultimately benefit from this effort,” she added.

With MSA-CESS affirming the value of PCSP experience as preparation for success in STEM, Slinskey Legg is encouraged that admissions professionals, other PCSPs, schools, and funders will elevate the documented value of community-based, culturally responsible out-of-school experience in student success, and support this important work.

PCSPs, admissions professionals, and allies can also benefit from the resources of STEM PUSH and help advance equity in STEM by learning alongside the network. Evidence-based change ideas, presentations and network learnings can be found on the project website.

The first cohort of accredited programs are: Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health’s Health Science Academy, California State University East Bay MESA, Gene Team at University of Pittsburgh, Joaquin Bustoz Math-Science Honors Program at Arizona State University, New York Hall of Science's Science Career Ladder, and Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Teenagers Exploring and Explaining Nature and Science (TEENS).

STEM PUSH welcomes admissions offices to join the STEM PUSH Admissions Network and revise current systems to recognize the STEM learning experiences of these students in the admissions and enrollment process. Together with partners, STEM PUSH aims to systematically elevate intensive out-of-school STEM learning experiences in admissions decisions. Learn more and connect here.

The STEM PUSH Network is operated by The Broadening Equity in STEM Center (BE STEM) at the University of Pittsburgh, and originally funded by the Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES program. STEM PUSH is a comprehensive national effort to enhance U.S. leadership in discoveries and innovations by focusing on diversity, inclusion and broadening participation in STEM at scale. STEM PUSH is also co-funded by the NSF Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program and the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program.  

Teaching Associate Professor | Director of Outreach, Department of Biological Sciences at the  University of Pittsburgh to learn more about the GENE TEAM program.

The GENE TEAM  Aims to engage students in current research in Biological Sciences and provide college preparatory mentoring. The goal of the program is to increase participation in biological research from groups that are historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math. 

WHAT IS THE DAY LIKE FOR A GENE TEAM PARTICIPANT? 

Gene Team students are immersed in the world of science in a very authentic way. This means that each day brings its own activities, successes, and challenges. Nearly every day, they are engaged in hands-on experiences to set up experiments and/or collect their data. They also meticulously record the work they do in lab notebooks. As in research labs in the department, they spend a lot of time communicating their findings to their peers to help analyze their data. Gene Team also provides college prep to our students so on any given day they could be participating in a workshop to help teach them skills like creating online STEM portfolios and resumes/CVs or to help them navigate the Common App. No day is the same and I think students appreciate that aspect of the program.

TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT THE 2024 SUMMER GENE TEAM IS WORKING ON AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE STUDENTS GET OUT OF THIS EXPERIENCE?

The Summer 2024 Gene Team students are partnering with the Rebeiz Lab at the University of Pittsburgh to explore the regulation of gene expression. Gene Expression is the process by which genes are “turned on and turned off” which makes organisms look and function the way that they do. What they learn can provide insights into the evolution of morphology or in other words how organisms look and function changes over time. They are doing this by looking into small proteins in the cell called transcription factors which act like switches to control when genes are expressed. They were able to use lab techniques like RNAi and CRISPR to shut down the genes for these transcription factors (or in other words shut down the switches) to see how the fly’s appearance, in this case the pigmentation, changes. 

Beyond the students gaining a strong understanding of genetics, we hope that the students gain confidence in their own abilities to participate in science. Often, they have experiences in school that shape how they view themselves based on metrics like test performance. We want students to understand that there are places for everyone in science. They all have unique strengths and the team they work with is stronger because of it. Additionally, we hope they feel ready for the college application process once they’ve completed the program. 

HOW IS THE GENE TEAM PROGRAM MAKING THE DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS?

Our hope is that Gene Team impacts our students in many ways beyond just learning biology. Of course, we want our students to gain a deep understanding of the biological world and to think critically about how interconnected concepts they may have learned in school are. Moreso, we aim to improve students’ critical thinking skills, data analysis skills, ability to design experiments, and work as independent scientists as well as collaborate within their groups. These transferrable skills will allow our students to be successful in any future endeavors. We also see firsthand how building these skills and being part of a research team increases students’ sense of belonging in STEM. After completing the program, students really see themselves as scientists and believe they can be successful in STEM careers (we see this anecdotally backed up by assessment data). We see tremendous growth in so many different areas of each member of our team which they carry with them throughout the rest of high school and beyond.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM HELPING ESPECIALLY MINORITY STUDENTS GET ENGAGED INTO BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND RESEARCH? 

Studies have shown that a critical factor in success in STEM is a student’s STEM identity. Role models, a sense of belonging, and authentic STEM experiences all build that STEM identity. Students who are ultimately successful in STEM tend to have a broad STEM community, which include both in-school and out-of-school supports who nurture learning. STEM identity and sense of belonging has been cited as a major component of STEM retention, and that women and underrepresented minority students often lack a sense of belonging. Through Gene Team, students are building relationships and fostering a STEM community, and we believe that students are more likely to pursue and persist in STEM as a result.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE STUDENTS CONSIDER AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE?

After they’ve been completely immersed in an authentic biology research experience, they now know what it is like to be in that career path. While of course we’d be thrilled if they all decided they were so inspired by the experience that they all want to pursue a career in biology, we know that won’t be the case. Some of them will learn that this career path is not for them. Either way, we hope they feel more empowered that they’ve learned something about themselves and their interests. In addition to this knowledge about their own interests, we equip them with many tools for success in the college process. We also hope that they consider utilizing these tools in ways that work for them as they continue carving out their own futures.

THE Gene Team has been accredited by Middles States Association for broadening participation in STEM. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HELP PUSH FOR EQUITABLE FUTURES IN STEM?

The MSA-CESS accreditation is a ground-breaking step towards elevating the critical learning and skills development provided by Gene Team through increased visibility and value in the higher education admissions process, promoting greater equity in college admissions. Out-of-school educational programs experiences are disproportionately important for students who systematically have reduced access to advanced STEM experiences in their high schools, and accreditation validates these underrecognized opportunities. This creates a mechanism for admissions officers to understand and recognize our students’ experiences in Gene Team. We are thrilled to be accredited, which can lead to more holistic admissions reviews for our students.

WHAT SORT OF PLANS FOR THE FUTURE TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM OR SUSTAIN IT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GENE TEAM PARTICIPANTS?

Gene Team is part of the STEM PUSH Network, a nationwide initiative to develop a new admissions model for evaluating students who have participated in pre-college STEM programs. The network developed the accreditation process that allowed Gene Team to be one of the first precollege STEM programs (PCSPs) in the country to be accredited for broadening participation of traditionally excluded populations in STEM. STEM PUSH partner programs are committed to continuous improvement on evidence-based quality standards for broadening participation in STEM across six areas (Program Goals, Student Recruitment, Program Design & Implementation, Student Services, Assessment & Evidence of Performance, and College Going Pathways).Partner programs to strengthen their programming for racially/ethnically minoritized students along the quality standards, and to generate effective practices which contribute to the broader field of equitable design and implementation in pre-college programming. We examine STEM education practice and systems through an equity lens, reflect on our strengths and areas for growth, apply improvement science tools and routines to facilitate program and systems change, and build program capacity for continuous improvement and evaluation. Therefore, we are constantly looking at ways to strengthen our programming and make sure we are serving our students well. 

AT THE END OF THE EXPERIENCE, WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD WATCHING THE STUDENTS ENGAGE IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES?

Historically, there has been a lot of gatekeeping in fields like biology which means the barriers needed to overcome the inequities of the past are immense. As we walk around the room and watch the students, who are from a variety of backgrounds and schools, do biology research, little cracks start to form in the mountain of the problem. Watching the students pick up on complex concepts like CRISPR and RNAi in just a few days is awe-inspiring. These kids, our future, are ready. All they need is to be given that chance and when given the chance, they rise to the occasion. We are proud to run Gene Team that puts the spotlight on the students and gives them the opportunity to shine. We are proud to be part of the STEM PUSH network which unites dozens of programs like Gene Team all over the country with the common goal of letting the student’s shine. Most of all, we’re proud of the students continuing to show us there is hope if we all keep working to give the students these opportunities to shine.

Learn More about the GENE TEAM program click here