Temple Med Students Volunteer as Science Teachers at Nearby Public School
By Paul Kurtz
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Sixty-five medical students at Temple University have taken a nearby, financially strapped public school under their wing.
The first- and second-year medical students knocked on the doors of Bethume Elementary School last year after hearing that the school did not have a science teacher. They're back this year, with an expanded program that includes a science fair.
Eighth grader Junius Wilson says their med student mentors had them conduct all kinds of experiments.
"The taste test experiment, plants... a lot of stuff," he recalled. "And this is a great opportunity for us, and we just thank Temple for giving us the opportunity to learn about science because there's not a lot of science at Bethune."
"I love working with the kids -- they're great kids," says Meredith Manire (at right in photo), one of the volunteer teachers. "Being at Temple med school you don't get to see a lot of the community, sometimes, so it's nice to be able to interact and work with the kids here. I mean, they're right in our backyard, so to speak."
