MECC Donates Biology Kits to Local High Schools

Big Stone Gap – Mountain Empire Community College recently donated fifteen biology labs kits to local dual enrollment high school biology classes to provide students with hands-on experiments to enhance their learning experience.

MECC Biology Assistant Professor Dr. Stacy Adams said she was inspired to donate the equipment during a visit to one of the MECC general biology classes being taught at a local high school. She learned it is sometimes difficult for instructors to purchase supplies for the required laboratory component of sciences courses and she wanted to help.

“Serendipity must have prevailed,” said Adams. “The MECC bookstore provided fifteen biology lab kits to the MECC biology department soon after my visit. For me, the next step I would take was a no-brainer; it only made sense to pay it forward by offering these kits to our local high schools where the

MECC General Biology I and II courses (BIO 101 and BIO 102) are being taught.”

The kits, which include all the materials needed to conduct eighteen different experiments, from general laboratory safety to ecological interactions, were recently presented to teachers Ashley Burke at Gate City High School, Amanda Horton at Lee High School, and Denise Carter at Thomas Walker High School.  Five kits went to each school. Adams said the kits were a hit with students immediately.

Adams noted that according to a survey of science students completed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, students learn concepts better in the hands-on laboratory setting. The students at each local high school where the kits were presented wanted to start working on the experiments immediately.

“This donation is just one of the many ways that MECC supports its surrounding communities and embodies the slogan, MECC Proud” said Adams.