Neuroscience Meets Hoops: WashU Students Inspire the Next Generation in St. Louis

Once they’ve completed their own academic assignments, WashU scholars journey to nearby schools, community hubs, and medical facilities to set aside the title of student and take on roles such as educator, dance leader, basketball mentor, and source of inspiration.

These undergraduate and graduate student volunteers belong to clubs dedicated to aiding the youth of St. Louis. Their initiatives encompass a variety of activities, from educating young patients in hospitals about the intriguing — and somewhat gooey — science behind slime, to introducing elementary school children to the delights of dance, and even assisting high schoolers in envisioning themselves as future neuroscientists.

In this segment, the Record highlights five of WashU’s numerous educational groups that are energizing the upcoming generation about the wonders of learning.

(Videos: Tom Malkowicz/WashU)

Brain Exploration at Dewey International Studies Elementary School

As graduate students Taylor Pedersen and Haley Jetter present a colorful diagram of a brain through a slideshow, eager hands spring up throughout the classroom.

“Why does my head ache when I gaze at the sun?”

“Why do I only remember parts of my dreams?”

“Is my brain always functioning?”

Pedersen and Jetter are co-leaders of the graduate group Brain Discovery, which collaborates with local elementary institutions to inspire children to meet scientists and ignite their passion for the scientific method.

For the pupils at Dewey International Studies Elementary School, this involves examining sections of a mouse brain under a microscope, along with analyzing an MRI of the human brain. Across six sessions, the youngsters formulate and investigate their own research questions and even have the opportunity to hold an actual human brain.

“It’s reminiscent of when they take an X-ray of my teeth at the dentist,” one student remarks while viewing the MRI. Pedersen acknowledges this, explaining to the students that if a patient had braces, they’d appear on the scan, which elicits giggles.

By the conclusion of the hour-long session, the students can identify their frontal lobe and occipital lobe.

“We don’t anticipate them to retain all of this knowledge indefinitely,” Jetter noted. “However, they’ll remember the excitement associated with it, which is truly significant.”

– Aliana Mediratta

Literature and Sports at KIPP Victory Academy

“Yes, yes, yes, yes!” David, an 8-year-old attendee at KIPP Victory Academy, exclaims as his spaghetti-and-marshmallow tower, now structurally stable, proudly stands erect. “I accomplished it!”

This marks the second activity in an eventful afternoon coordinated by Books and Basketball, a student group that bridges WashU scholars with schools for educational enhancement and recreational activities. With over 100 participants, Books and Basketball stands as one of the largest volunteer organizations on campus. Each week, volunteers make trips to three distinct locations in the St. Louis area.

Prior to the building challenge involving spaghetti and marshmallows, WashU senior Kyle Hinchey, who is the club president, led two third graders through a reading comprehension exercise, probing into a narrative about an inquisitive dog that enjoys adventures. Together, they responded to several questions and illustrated a representation of the scene.

Afterward, the volunteers and students progressed to the gym for some basketball action.

“I’m open!” called out sophomore William Meyer to his teammates.

Following a long school day and further tutoring, the children are eager to expel their energy through a thrilling basketball match.

“Establishing a mentorship bond can occasionally be challenging when you’re merely seated with them, assisting with their worksheets,” said Hinchey, who revitalized Books and Basketball in 2023, after the organization faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When you’re actively playing basketball with them, it allows kids to open up and start to admire you.”

– Amanda Young

St. Louis Regional Brain Bee at WashU

By the time high school junior Shreenik Enturi confronts the last query of the St. Louis Regional Brain Bee, he has already adeptly remembered which area of the brain serves as a circadian clock and articulated the meaning of excitotoxicity.

Now he must pinpoint two methods that uncover the default mode network. Fortunately for Enturi, who is a student at Fort Zumwalt South High School, the months he dedicated to studying a brain facts book and creating flashcards bear fruit. Holding his whiteboard aloft, he correctly identifies PET scans and fMRI imaging — two techniques that were innovated, in part, at WashU.

The annual neuroscience contest — orchestrated by Erik Herzog, the Viktor Hamburger Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, alongside Synapse, WashU’s student neuroscience society — seeks to motivate high school students to cultivate an interest in neuroscience careers.

“The Brain Bee was genuinely the reason I developed an interest in neuroscience initially,” stated Shriya Koneru, a WashU senior studying neuroscience and biology in Arts & Sciences, who previously competed as a student at Ladue Horton Watkins High School. “It’s really exciting to offer high schoolers the chance to experience the same type of environment.”

With the national competition approaching, Enturi is depending on his proven flashcards for study, which he hopes will also be useful when he heads off to college.

“I’ll be pursuing a pre-med track,” Enturi expressed. “I aspire to become a psychiatrist someday.”

– Aliana Mediratta

Einstein Explorers at St. Louis Children’s Hospital

Nine-year-old Dash might not comprehend what a non-Newtonian fluid is, but he does recognize what oobleck entails. Hence, he is excited when volunteers from the Campus Y’s Einstein Explorers arrive to instruct him on creating his own.

“Ooooo-bleck,” shouts Dash, a long-term patient at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

“First, we’re going to discuss the term viscosity, which signifies how sticky a substance is,” WashU junior Sahil Soni explained.

Soni scoops a cup of cornstarch, and Dash adds water. The combination morphs into a gooey quicksand. However, when Dash presses down firmly on the oobleck, it shifts into a solid.

“This is the most enjoyable experiment yet,” exclaims Dash, who previously created a lava lamp and performed an electricity experiment during earlier visits.

Throughout the past year, Soni has significantly expanded the reach of Einstein Explorers, boosting visits to the group’s four hospital collaborators and initiating new programs within three elementary schools. Cassidy Merano, a certified child life specialist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, values the group’s enduring dedication.

“We want the children to be just that — children while they’re in the hospital,” Merano shared. “And they have the chance to learn something during their time here.”

Next, the volunteers approach Amia, an exceptional 8-year-old who, in fact, is knowledgeable about non-Newtonian fluids. Soni retrieves his Snap Circuits set and challenges Amia to discover how high the fan blade can soar when powered by four batteries.

“Probably to the moon,” Amia remarked.

“Test it and discover,” Soni encourages her. “That’s the most exciting aspect of science.”

– Diane Toroian Keaggy

CityDance at Robinwood Elementary School

On a dreary afternoon at Robinwood Elementary School, situated in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, the ambiance inside the building is vibrant and cheerful as WashU senior Sara Lapidus and sophomore Sydney Shea guide students through an energetic dance session.

Young dancers stretch towards the ceiling, leap and bound across the floor, and practice their “relevés,” otherwise known as walking on their toes.

When Doja Cat’s “Say So” erupts from the speakers, a cluster forms in the center of the gym to rehearse the choreography.

“I adore this song,” exclaims one 10-year-old. “I feel like Doja Cat’s tracks were created for dancing.”

Lapidus and Shea belong to CityDance, a student group founded in 2017 by Emily Duggins (AB ’18, MFA ’24). Each week, CityDance volunteers visit five community centers and schools throughout the region to conduct free, enjoyable after-school programming.

“Our aim is to foster confidence and creativity in children, allowing them to explore a new hobby and develop their teamwork abilities,” Lapidus, the club’s vice president, mentioned. “In the end, when we create dances, it’s genuinely enjoyable to watch them immerse in the process. They really connect with the music and collaborate to experiment and try various elements.”