The 2026 Next Generation fellowship has DMS researchers and graduate students
team up with a local elementary school
By Ann Gilewski.
In May 2026, Dr. Zosia Baumann, along with graduate students Anne Gilewski and Melissa Sanchez, completed a four-week-long after-school program with the Catherine Kolnaski STEAM Magnet School here in Groton, CT. Ten fourth graders, led by Cheryl Beaulieu, STEAM Specialist, learned about watershed ecology, the pillars of scientific field research, and new technology.
Our first lesson introduced students to watersheds, their topographical features, and the importance of sourcing nutrients, but also pollutants, to the ocean. During this lesson, students used a map to investigate major watershed locations in Connecticut and identified the types of animals and plants that could live in different parts of these watersheds. We finished the session by having students craft their own paper landscapes by crumpling sheets of paper. After applying marker to paper “peaks”, students made it “rain” and watched where the water drained. They visualized how, even though water started flowing at a mountain or far inland, it eventually drained to the sea.
For our second week of the program, UConn team led the students on a watershed hike in their school’s backyard to observe vegetation and hydrological patterns. They learned how to use a refractometer to measure salinity. They used salt solution and water from the Birch Plain Creek to observe differences in salinity through the refractometer’s lens.
Students continued their scientific research exploration with a unit on accuracy and precision and the importance of both in data collection, along with reporting all observations. Our next lab, led by Anne Gilewski, examined an oyster "bed". During this activity, students worked in teams using quadrats and clicker counters to count oysters and use that data to calculate the overall size of an oyster population within the whole oyster bed. This exercise simulated fieldwork, where students worked together to take measurements and record data with focus and care. We then compared each team's data and discussed accuracy and precision, identifying mistakes that might have occurred, such as human error or malfunctioning equipment.
In the final week, students were introduced to the complex world of phytoplankton and their role in the food chain, including serving as the food for oysters they counted on the “oyster bed”. Stations in this workshop focused on studying phytoplankton morphology, identifying between living plankton and detritus, using the metric system for scientific measurements, and finally, Melissa Sanchez showed the students how the FlowCam® works - students watched images of live phytoplankton from a seawater sample that were inserted into the FlowCam® appear on computer screen.
Next Generation Fellowship receives generous funding from the State of Connecticut, secured for Groton students by Representative Aundré Bumgardner. This funding supports the four-week after-school program described above and oyster tank care in the foyer of Catherine Kolnaski Magnet School throughout the academic year. This program marks its 5th year providing students with hands-on learning about science and technology, and its 3rd year with funding support. This funding supports the Next Generation Fellowships ($1,500) for graduate students who gain valuable lesson-planning and teaching experience through outreach to elementary students.
