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Students present bacteriophage discovery and report back from ITEC youth-prevention conference
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Summary
Iroquois seniors presented a classroom research project that identified a novel bacteriophage, and student ambassadors from ITEC described a Washington, D.C., prevention conference and plans for youth-led community events and a high-school mental-health group.
The board meeting included two student-focused presentations.
AP Environmental Science senior Saffron (introduced by a teacher) described class work with University at Buffalo professors that isolated and sequenced a novel bacteriophage from Buffalo Creek. She said the class named the isolate "Pseudomonas phage rivus buffalo 8," explaining the name references the Pseudomonas bacteria the phage infects, the Buffalo River location of the sample, and the eight students in the class who participated.
Separately, Ally Palatro, AOR for ITEC, introduced youth ambassadors Lena Osinski and Morgan Ruffus, who summarized their four-day prevention and leadership training in Washington, D.C. The students described workshops on substance-use prevention, community-skill projects (they plan to use an ice-skating community event as a prevention activity), and next steps including reflection surveys, expanded youth-led outreach and a planned school-based mental-health group that students will pilot next year.
Both presentations drew board praise for student leadership and hands-on learning. "Thank you for the continuous support for the sciences," Saffron said; the board's chair and superintendent both thanked the student ambassadors for representing the district.
What happens next: the district will publicize the budget packet and the students said they will meet with school administration to set goals for next year's youth-prevention activities.
