The dream for the Minority Science Outreach Program (MSOP) is to build and diversify the pool of scientists and technical professionals by incorporating highly qualified minorities and women. This program strives to obviate the issues facing underrepresented children by providing role models, activities, cultural and educational field trips, tutoring and job preparatory work.

Our programs provide academic accessibility, rigor, encouragement, counseling and support. Interactions with the schools and families are necessary to maintain viable educational conditions.

The science fair workshop component extends the concept of hands-on science to practical problem solving. The objective is to give students an opportunity to ask questions they could not ask in school. The purpose is to enable students to interact and create rapport with scientists. Students throughout the city participate in the workshops. They are required to maintain a lab notebook while executing the research. Outlining designs of problem solution related to his/her particular interest. Projects range from the effects of heavy metals on plants, to the effect of aloe on fibroblast wound healing, to explorations into the coefficient of static friction of various tennis shoes, to the effects of resveratrol on lung cancer.

Students have won a variety of awards and monetary prizes on the local, state, and national levels. It is my pleasure to have the opportunity to stimulate young minds and encourage ideas.

- Stacey Pharrams.