For the second year, the Grade 9 Destreamed Science students of Marshall McLuhan Catholic Secondary School have participated in a new initiative featuring two research projects focused on innovators in STEAM:
Founders of Science - Heroes of Faith
Cultural Scientists - Diversity in Science
This initiative is rooted in Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy (CRRP) and Historically Responsive Pedagogy, and is aligned with the pastoral plan Growing in Knowledge with Justice, reflecting our Catholic commitment to equity, inclusion, and academic excellence.
Students were provided with the choice and a voice in selecting the scientist they wished to study, along with clear instructions regarding research expectations. The goal of the project is to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the impact of innovators in STEAM from the Catholic faith and diverse cultural bedgrounds, allowing them to identify with these scientists and be inspired by their achievements. Also, through their research, students explore the lives and contributions of these scientists to STEAM and society, connecting faith, culture, and innovation in ways that inspire and motivate their own learning.
Students showcased the contributions of Catholic pioneers whose faith and discoveries have made revolutionary contributions to STEAM and innovators from their own cultural backgrounds, highlighting the diverse voices that have shaped science and technology across history.
Here are a few students’ reflections on the projects’ experiences:
"This project was a meaningful opportunity to explore scientists who share the same beliefs as us students. The scientist I researched, Rene Descartes, is deeply connected with my Catholic faith. He is a philosopher and mathematician, whose studies have helped me both learn and grow as a person. I now feel more solidified in pursuing my desired career thanks to this project." - Olivia, S.
"As someone who wants to pursue a career in STEAM, I was really inspired by the Cultural Scientist project as it showed the many amazing contributions of scientists from all around the world. It made me believe that it doesn’t matter where I’m from and that if I worked hard enough, I could one day contribute to the world as much as those scientists." - Sarah, M.
"There are amazing scientists all over the world. You may think that maybe the country you’re from might not have any, but there’s always a scientist that contributed a lot more to society than you think." - Phylimone, Y.
"Researching and completing my cultural scientist, Patricia E. Bath, was one of the most interesting projects I have done. What makes this project interesting is that I was researching a scientist, but rather exploring a scientist with a Caribbean background, just like me. As a female with Caribbean background, it's nice to see one of us, who is a female, becoming the first woman of everything: " The first African-American woman to be a resident of New York University and the first female faculty member at the Department of Ophthalmology in the University of California. The last thing that was captivating was the idea of an invention called " Laserphaco Probe". I'd never heard of " Laserpacho Probe" until I searched it up, which I honestly thought that the idea of an invention like this came from a man, who want improve eye care and avoid blindness/eye diseases, like keratoprothesis, but it rather the idea came from an African-American woman." - Adekemi, O.
"When I look around the Science halls at Marshall McLuhan and see a diverse group of incredible scientists from Catholic faith and around the world, especially those from my own country, I feel inspired and motivated. As someone who wishes to pursue a career in STEAM, learning about the scientists of the past makes me hopeful about following in their footsteps and making discoveries that could inspire others the way I am inspired now." - Elena, S.
This project was an opportunity for the students to view the scientific work of Catholic pioneers as a way to understand and honor God’s creation. Also, exploring the cultural scientists instilled in them a greater sense of pride and belonging, helping them recognize that science is not the product of one culture alone, but a field enriched by the diverse contributions and voices of many communities. In addition, participating in these projects, students not only deepening their understanding of STEAM but are also discovering themselves within the story of scientific discovery. The Founders of Science – Heroes of Faith and Cultural Scientist – Diversity in Science Research Project affirm the Marshall McLuhan school’s commitment to cultivating Catholic values in education, equity, inclusion, leadership, and while celebrating the diverse pioneers who continue to inspire the next generation of innovators. Innovators in the STEAM initiative is transformative, stimulating pride among students for the Catholic faith and their ethnic backgrounds and providing role models to guide them in proudly engaging in the STEAM fields.
