Posterboards covering a range of topics — from pop singers and animal conservation to the formation of galaxies — filled Franklin Pierce University’s Spagnuolo Hall. They weren’t created by Franklin Pierce students, however. Instead, they were the work of Jaffrey Grade School participants in the Inquiry Scholars program.
The program pairs Franklin Pierce University students with fourth- and fifth-graders in an after-school initiative in which the older students guide their younger partners through a research project of their choice, culminating in a poster and presentation.
FPU professor Tom Bennett, who leads the program, said it’s a great opportunity for the university students, many of whom are in health science majors, to learn how to convey ideas and work with a variety of people.
“For the college students, it gives them an opportunity to share the learning that they’ve been doing. A lot of these students are going into areas of professions that they’ll be using these skills to communicate with their patients, with their colleagues, and so working with the elementary students gives them a leg up on that as they move forward,” Bennett said.
For the elementary students, the topic is less important than learning research skills.
“The main thing is that they get to learn about something that they want to learn about,” Bennett said.
The research is made into posters, which are printed out by Savron Graphics as a donation to the program. The students spend the last weeks of the program printing their posters and practicing presenting the information on them. The capstone of the program is the showcase, where students get to present their posters and explain what they’ve learned to visiting parents.
Rachel Taylor, an FPU senior and health science major, helped two students with varied topics — one who researched galaxies, and the other who learned about tiger conservation. She said it was a valuable experience for her.
“Just learning how to teach, I think, is valuable for anyone to learn,” Taylor said. “It’s a great way to volunteer, and refocus off of college and focus on helping someone else.”
Senior and health science major Drake Nelson said this is his second year with the program.
“I love working with the kids here. They’re always excited about doing the project. It was fun all around,” Nelson said. “We give them pretty much free rein on what they want to do, and they get to have a good time learning more about what they’re interested in. I had a great time doing it last year. The kids are phenomenal.”
During the spring semester, the Inquiry Scholars program moves to the Rindge Memorial School, and FPU students will work with students there.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.