Science Students Benefit From Hands-On Labs, Individual Instruction | Eastern North Carolina Now

 WASHINGTON, N.C. — Beaufort County Community College's students have access to well-equipped labs and a gifted group of science instructors, giving them a leg up when they transfer to a four-year degree program or health sciences program, or when they transition into the workforce.

 "We are fortunate to have a lot of equipment in our labs that you're not always going to see at the community college level," says lead instructor Teresa Crozier. "We have well-equipped labs for anatomy/physiology and biology. We try to do as much hands-on work as we can, and we're able to offer individual and personalized instruction due to our smaller class sizes."

 For example, she says, when studying the human skeleton, rather than the whole class having to take turns looking at one model, there are enough models for the students to inspect them individually or in small groups.

 "We have preserved organisms that they can see for themselves," she adds. "They can actually look at a tapeworm or a jellyfish instead of looking at a picture in the textbook. That makes it more interesting and engaging for the students."

 In environmental biology, each class gets to venture outside the classroom to visit regional facilities where they can see science in action, such as water treatment plants or agricultural research stations. They may take an ecology hike, tour an industrial facility such as Grady White, or participate in a tree planting or roadside cleanup.

 "Where we go varies each semester, but I think they learn a lot by getting out and actually seeing it," she says. "They get to see what's being done in those facilities and how they are trying to reduce their environmental impact."

 The students get to work on an individual level with a group of highly credentialed instructors. Chemistry Instructor Amanda Carlisle says this kind of close interaction isn't typically offered to students in general chemistry classes.

 In each class she tries to incorporate an experiment created by one of the students, she says. This semester, her class is making rockets using milk containers. Each lab section will design a rocket and launch it, competing to achieve the greatest distance traveled.

 "This lab came about at the suggestion of a student, and the different lab sections are already excited about the opportunity," Carlisle explains. "The student-focused environment is just one of the things I appreciate and enjoy about what we offer here."

 The classes feed smoothly into the college transfer or nursing programs.

 "BCCC's science curriculum can really be a great pathway into the allied health professions," says Anatomy/Physiology and Biology Instructor Krystal Taylor. "There is a lot of demand in that industry and a lot of providers in our area."

 For more information about BCCC's science curriculum, contact Lisa Hill, Dean of Arts & Sciences, at 252-940-6223 or Lisa.Hill@BeaufortCCC.edu.

 Beaufort County Community College is a public comprehensive community college committed to accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training, and lifelong learning opportunities for the people served by the College.