Hi Everyone!

It is that time of year again! I am fundraising to support buying 45 Ancestry DNA kits to support my student’s AP Biology curriculum. I teach at Leadership Public Schools in Richmond California, where most of my students will be first in their families to attend college, and all of my students are underrepresented in STEM fields. My classes are curious, brilliant, and have taken AP biology to prepare them for rigorous college instruction. I have done this project in the past to supplement the AP curriculum with more personal connections and applications of the content, and to build in opportunities for students to apply biological concepts towards a better understanding of self and community. In addition to learning about their heritage and genetic makeup, students use the data collected to meet with family and discuss families’ journeys across the globe, with the goal of using data to connect and build family stories. Here are a few summaries of how the project impacted former students (now college students!)

“Doing the 23andMe test kit my junior year of high school was incredibly informative, because it connected what we were learning in AP Bio to real, personal data. I still revisit the report today, and as the technology improves, the results keep getting more accurate and help me better understand my roots and where I come from

“That test was interesting to say the least, I already knew I was white lol but seeing where my ancestry is from makes it 10x cooler tbh. Fun overall”

"The DNA testing kit was so meaningful to me because I was able to see where I truly came from! I've always known that I am just Salvadorean but I was truly able to see all the small bits of where I am from! Truly amazing and interesting"

This year, we have the largest AP biology enrollment since before the pandemic, in part due to students’ interest in STEM careers and interest in the medical field. I am hoping to take advantage of the Black Friday sales to buy 45 kits for use in January.

Any contribution helps! If you are a repeat donor, thank you for continuing to support this project– it means a lot to me and the students involved!

Best,

Devyani Bhadkamkar