Institute III- Autumn Meeting
(17 September -7 October, 2022)
From September 17th to October 7th, the staff of the Science Department of LTWA conducted the classes. The morning and afternoon sessions were guided by the staff of the LTWA Science department. The morning session primarily focused on related biological themes, such as; Cells and its organelles, body system and micro-organisms. And in the afternoon, they discussed astronomy, the origin of stars and the solar system.
Julie Yu and Tory Brady led the class from September 28 to October 7. They paid special emphasis on the interconnectedness concept, highlighting how people are a part of the interconnected and interdependent web of life on earth and how the sun is our main source of energy. As a consequence, plants need sunshine, all other life is reliant on the earth.
About the teachers:
Julie Yu
Julie Yu graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Brown University. She relocated to California. She first taught math and science to middle school students in East Palo Alto before moving on to teach science to K–12 students at the Tech Museum in San Jose. Along the way, she met the wonderful people at the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, who assisted her in teaching science the way she had actually learned it—by doing things and doing experiments with her own hands. She decided to return to school and study biology to complement her background in the physical sciences because teaching science made her remember how much she enjoyed learning science. She enrolled in graduate school at UC Berkeley, where she gained extensive understanding of viruses, stem cells, and how to play the game of foosball. She received a PhD in chemical engineering with a minor in molecular and cell biology. She joined the TI staff as a postdoc after being awarded an NSF Discovery Corps Fellowship and has managed to stay on as a staff scientist.
Torie Bredy
California native Torie Brady attended UC Berkeley for her academic career. She changed careers from being a registered nurse to being a teacher, something she has never regretted. She collaborated with educators at the Exploratorium Teacher Institute, assisted in integrating Exploratorium activities into the classroom, and enabled the mentoring of rookie teachers by more seasoned educators. In a rubber boat, Tory spent a lot of time in the Sacramento River delta, searching out hidden waterways. She taught in classrooms at both elementary and middle schools before working at the Exploratorium. She retired from the Exploratorium Teacher Institute and is now living her life to the fullest.
