Students to mentor younger peers as Ossining expands high‑school science research program

A student presenter told the Board of Education on Dec. 3 that Ossining will expand its science-research program to include younger students through one-on-one mentorship from high‑school researchers and targeted professional development for staff.

Owen, a liaison for the initiative, said the program aims to expose students in grades 5 through 8 to scientific inquiry and research habits earlier, connecting them with OHS juniors and seniors to guide project development, experimental design and communication skills. "Science research for me has built critical thinking, writing, and reading skills," Owen said, explaining the rationale for expanding access.

The initiative includes two principal goals: leverage the high school program to mentor younger students via structured meetups and provide staff professional development led by Miss Pryor Ghosh to support authentic research experiences in lower grades. Presenters said Roosevelt and AMD will pilot the program through existing STEM after‑school clubs and that the district already has enough high-school mentors to provide a 1:1 ratio for the Roosevelt cohort identified so far.

Board members and administrators framed the expansion as aligned to the district's educational equity policy, noting the program's potential to build a more diverse pipeline of students prepared to pursue high‑school research. The district will schedule mentor meetups, culminating events and a symposium for participating schools, and will select a science-research liaison to help sustain the work.

What happens next: staff will coordinate pilot logistics with building principals, schedule mentor meetups and create a PD calendar. The program will be monitored for participation and equity outcomes.