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A World of Difference in STEM-related Education: A Case Study
Carolina® Perfect Solution® Preserved Specimens
FAST FACTS
PARTICIPANT
Josh Clemmer
Science Department Chair
and Lead Teacher,
Biomedical Sciences
Bel Air High School
Bel Air, Maryland
DISTRICT
Hartford County Public Schools,
Bel Air, Maryland
CHALLENGE
Obtaining safe, high-quality lab specimens to help high school biomedical students rise to higher levels of understanding.
SOLUTION
Carolina’s Perfect Solution® preserved specimens
RESULTS
Students able to easily identify tissues, organs, and systems within natural, lifelike specimens leading to dramatically increased levels of conceptual understanding; biomed students exceeding the average scholarship offer rate by nearly double.
A World of Difference in STEM-Related Education.For a high school science program, true conceptual understanding is made possible when a teacher discovers the perfect preserved specimens.
Josh Clemmer is Science Department Chair and Lead Teacher of Biomedical Sciences at Bel Air High School in Bel Air, Maryland. The district serves 10 high schools and a number of elementary and middle schools. "We have a signature program in our school called the Biomedical Sciences Program, which is part of a national STEM curriculum from Project Lead The Way used in thousands of schools across the country," says Clemmer. His students won the Maryland State Secondary Schools Career and Technology Education Program of Excellence award in 2015; his school was chosen as a model school for biomedical science curriculum. There is a palpable sense of professionalism among students involved in the program. Bel Air graduates 60 to 70 students each year who participate in the rigorous, project-based four-year STEM course. "When they finish the course, many of our students move directly into STEM majors and careers," says Clemmer. Average scholarships awarded to biomed students in a recent year were nearly double that of other Bel Air students. That much competence must come from somewhere.
"Once you have seen a specimen that’s well maintained and well prepared and well shipped, you realize the impact that kind of quality has on classroom learning."
—Josh Clemmer, Science Department Chair and Lead Teacher, Biomedical Sciences, Bel Air High School, Bel Air, MD
An enhanced dissection experience. Teachers and students at Bel Air High School Biomedical Sciences Program using Carolina’s Perfect Solution specimens have been consistently impressed with what they have seen and experienced. With a clear conceptual understanding of what they study, students are winning competitions and have a higher percentage of scholarship offers as well.
Unlocking Conceptual Understanding
Among Clemmer’s many duties is a key task: he is responsible for ordering the preserved specimens used in the program. "Before we worked with Carolina," Clemmer explains, "the specimens we were getting didn’t meet our standards. We needed a more reliable supplier we could trust to provide specimens that would serve our purposes in the classroom. We require high-quality specimens that enable students to get a great concept of the anatomy," he says. "We’ve been very satisfied with the reliability of the specimens since we began working with Carolina."When we receive a shipment of fetal pigs, for example, we can be confident that each specimen will show the students the anatomy they need to see. We don’t have to deal with damaged specimens or biological matter that is degraded and disgusting to the students.” Further, says Clemmer, “Carolina ships the proper sizes and we get exactly what we have ordered. That contributes greatly to our ability to teach and the students’ understanding of what they are doing."
Carolina’s® Perfect Solution®
Carolna’s Perfect Solution specimens are preserved and shipped in a unique formula that creates a superior, more natural-looking specimen. They are life-like, remarkable in tissue quality, safe, and free of formalin odor and dangerous off-gassing. Setup, dissection, and disposal are hassle-free. Specimens have:
- Natural, life-like appearance inside and out.
- Easy-to-identify tissues, organs, and systems
- Superior color and texture
"Carolina gives us the security of knowing that specimens are safe to work with. That should be an important concern for all schools."
—Josh Clemmer, Science Department Chair and Lead Teacher, Biomedical Sciences, Bel Air High School, Bel Air, MD
Aha Moments
"Carolina gives us the security of knowing that specimens are safe to work with," Clemmer notes. "That should be an important concern for all schools." The specimens are free of formalin odor and dangerous off-gassing, and because of the preservation method, students are able to easily identify tissues, organs, and systems, leading to dramatically increased levels of conceptual understanding. "When we started using Carolina’s Perfect Solution® specimens, it made a world of difference," Clemmer concludes. "Once you have seen a specimen that’s well maintained and well prepared and well shipped, you realize for yourself the impact that kind of quality has on classroom learning. It’s that difference which creates the aha moments where the student’s interest level peaks and all the kids become engaged in learning. As a teacher, it’s great to see that!"