BE Board:Community service
For current website see begradboard.mit.edu
Community Service
Welcome to the BE Board Community Service Wiki! Please email Bridget Wall, at bwall@mit.edu with your suggestions.
The BE Board will be sponsoring several Community Service events this year, including building DNA legos, collaborations with the Charles River Conservancy, and volunteering in the annual Cambridge Science Festival.
Past Events
DNA Lego Kit Assembly
December 5th, 2011
We spent an evening collating lego protein kits to be sent to Boston Public Schools and other Massachusetts-area schools. Thanks to those who volunteered: Yvonne Yamanaka, Tiffany Chen, Sarah Schrier, Jim Abshire, Jeff Wagner, and Bill Hesse.
DNA Legos
We helped glue and assemble lego-based tRNA molecules for lego kits to be sent to the Boston Community Leadership Academy (http://www.bostonpublicschools.org/school/boston-community-leadership-academy)
Thank you to those that volunteered: Lorenna Buck, Yvonne Yamanaka, Ethan Sokol, Nate Schafheimer, Xiaosai Yao, Sarah Schrier, Bill Hesse.
Photo credit: Kathy Vandiver
Please check out a video of the tRNA in action: http://techtv.mit.edu/videos/783-translation-reading-the-dna-code-the-lego-animation-version
Cambridge Science Festival
BE helped the Center for Environmental Health Sciences [1] run a booth on DNA damage using both UV beads and the DNA Lego kits.
Thanks to those that volunteered: Bryan Owens, Ethan Sokol, Nate Schafheimer,and Xiaosai Yao.
Photo credit: Kathy Vandiver
For more information please visit their website: http://cambridgesciencefestival.org/Home.aspx
Christmas in the City:
Christmas in the City (CITC) is a non-profit and 100% volunteer-based organization that offers services, support, and guidance for homeless families in the Boston area. During the holiday season, they organize a holiday party for nearly 3000 homeless children in the Boston area and provide each child a wrapped gift directly off of their personal wishlist. If you'd like to know more about Christmas in the City, check out their website at: http://www.christmasinthecity.org/
Ordering toys is an easy process done through Amazon.com wishlists (technology!)
December 2010 Final Numbers:
1st years: 2
2nd years: 8
3rd years: 7
4th years: 18
5th + years : 37
for a total of 72 toys! Way to go, everyone! The 5th+ years celebrated their victory with a pizza party.
We'll be partnering with CITC again this year, watch for more announcements!
Thank you! Bridget--Your BE Board Community Service Chair.
