[Histonet] histology in higher education

[koellingr <@t> comcast.net]

The following has to do with histology and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) so if not interested, please ignore.  But I believe it can have real meaning to the profession of histology at the NSH, state society and local levels. 
  
I am elected to the Board of WSSEF (Washington State Science and Engineering Fair) where I am in educational outreach and also the assistant to the head judge.  We recently had our Washington State Fair with 650 kids, grades 1-12 from all over the state.  And while there was a lot of engineering and robots and computers there were a few projects having to do with medicine, biotechnology, immunology and pathology with some familiar histology or immunohistochemistry pictures included.  At the end of the fair, we awarded almost 1.8 MILLION dollars of scholarships and awards to grades 7-12 students.  Not only that, our top winners get an all-expenses paid trip to present at the ISEF (Intel International Fair) with 1,700 students competing from all 50 states and 70 countries.  Wherever you are in the US, you have a state fair. 
  
I would advocate for some of you so interested at the national, state or local levels to promote histology, by getting involved as mentors for middle and high school students to science fairs; especially those that could lead to histopathology or other related projects that could lead into Intel affiliated fairs resulting in great benefit to the student and a spread of the word of histology into both the STEM world and general population. 
  
I've mentored for 15 years.  It can be done.  Molecular histopathology, personalized diagnostics and therapeutics, advances in immunohistochemistry, current controversies about breast biopsy diagnosis, or other disease with newer classifications, PCR and RTPCR in histology, modern-targeted therapeutics like in melanoma or colo-rectal carcinoma, FISH, digital image analysis software for you computer geeks and on and on; the list is nearly limitless.  Especially if you are close to or can contact biotech companies or educational institutions to find co-mentors for grades 7-12 there are histology-related science project possibilities in terms of data collection and the scientific method and project presentation are nearly unlimited now. 
  
Be a mentor for or engage a grade 7-12 student, with the help of another mentor or organization, to think about (histology-related) projects for science fairs leading to a state fair and Intel ISEF.  Can't think of any better way to "promote histology" so would hope those at NSH would take note of this.  And since the ISEF fair receives projects and groups from 70 countries, I hope any outside the US would also think about the same thing. 
  
Ray Koelling 
HT, HTL, QIHC, STEM educational outreach advocate 
Lake Forest Park, WA