St. Vrain Valley Schools is pleased to host the SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team Colorado Symposium. This event will bring together high school students, teachers, scientists, and community members from across the nation to celebrate a unique hands-on learning experience.
Through SMART Teams, a program developed by 3D Molecular Designs, students work in small research teams to dive into scientific literature. They read authentic research papers, explore protein structure data, and translate complex molecular information into simplified, accurate 3D-printed models. “Presenting at a symposium allows students to truly shine as scholars and to engage with other young scientists in an authentic research setting,” said Chris Chou, science teacher at Longmont High School. “Many of our former SMART Team students who are now in college share their reflections on how transformative this experience was in shaping their confidence, scientific thinking, and communication skills,” she shares.
The symposium serves as the capstone to their journey. St. Vrain students and teams from other states will present their projects, sharing not only their models but the scientific reasoning and collaboration behind them. Attendees can expect to see students confidently explaining complex biomedical concepts, engaging in thoughtful conversations with scientists, and demonstrating communication skills that extend far beyond the classroom.
Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, March 28
- Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Location: Innovation Center, 33 Quail Rd, Longmont, CO 80501