Abstract

The Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) Advancing Secondary Science Education through Tetrahymena (ASSET) program is a long-standing science education program that was initially developed at Cornell University and transferred to WashU in 2023. Funded through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA), the ASSET program enhances STEM education by providing research-based, inquiry-driven learning experiences for K-12 students. The program integrates phenomenon-based storylines aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) to promote critical thinking and engagement among students. All ASSET learning experiences feature a living model organism, Tetrahymena, a single-celled protozoan that is safe and easy to grow. A model organism is a species that scientists have extensively studied and now have a strong understanding of its biological processes. Given this established knowledge, researchers use model organisms to gain new understanding of many biological processes and functions with the hope that data are generalizable to other organisms and systems such as human health, biology, and ecosystems (Leonelli & Ankeny, 2013).

Publication Date

3-2026

Document Type

Report

Topic

STEM Materials & Pedagogy

Second Topic

Science

Program

ASSET

Second Program

Faculty Engagement

Language

English (en)

File Name

ASSET Scaling Report - 2026.pdf

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