Xavier University of Louisiana-Mobile Outreach for Laboratory Enrichment (XULA-MOLE)

PROJECT SUMMARY
The application for Xavier University of Louisiana's Mobile Outreach for Laboratory Enrichment (XULA-
MOLE) proposes a comprehensive training and mentoring program for high school students and
teachers. This project is a partnership between Xavier and participating local high schools. The long-term
objective of this collaboration is to stimulate science interest in high school students in the New Orleans
area as a precursor to them pursuing careers in the biomedical sciences or STEM fields. The XULA-
MOLE project also aims to better support science teachers with pedagogical and research project design
training and mentoring to increase their impact in the classroom. The introduction of mobile inquiry-based
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) centered laboratory experiences will
encourage high school students in this resource poor setting to pursue further education and careers in
scientific fields. This program is especially important to the New Orleans area high schools, which after
Hurricane Katrina have struggled to find synergy between curriculum design and education reform
implementation. The general strategy for this proposed work will be carried out via a four-pronged
approach involving (i) inquiry-based laboratory experiences, (ii) professional development and research
design training for teachers, (iii) establishing near-peer mentoring programs between Xavier
undergraduates and their pre-college peers and (iv) high school field trips to biomedical research labs at
Xavier. The XULA-MOLE project participants include Xavier faculty and undergraduate STEM students
who will design inquiry-based guided laboratory modules for the participating high schools aligned to the
NGSS science processes. The specific activities for XULA-MOLE will be designed with inspiration from
previous SEPA-funded programs such as BEST Science!, which focused on professional development
workshops for teachers, and the long-sustaining CityLab, which most recently is piloting an after school
science education program impacting students' science identity.
By using a multi-pronged strategy to inspire science teaching and learning, the XULA-MOLE Program
aims to develop a model system that can be applied to multiple schools and grade levels.

Grant Number: 5R25GM137382-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Mehnaaz Ali