What does origami have to do with stem cells? Scientists at EuroStemCell, which is a partnership of more than 400 stem cell labs across Europe, are using origami and other creative activities to engage and educate the public about stem cells.

EuroStemCell’s goal is to “make sense of stem cells” by providing “expert-reviewed information and road-tested educational resources on stem cells and their impact on society.” Their educational resource page is rich with science experiments for kids, students and even adults. They also have science videos on topics ranging from what stem cells are to bioengineering body parts.

Unfolding Organogenesis

Recently EuroStemCell posted a video about how successful public engagement activities are based on strong collaborations between scientists, doctors, educators and communicators. This video was particularly powerful because it showed how good ideas can start from an individual, but great ideas happen when individuals work together to develop these initial ideas into activities that will really connect with their audience.

The video features Dr. Cathy Southworth who begins by telling the story of how she and her collaborators developed an origami activity called “Unfolding Organogenesis”. Southworth explains her rationale behind using paper to simulate how stem cells develop the tissues and organs in our body.

“I was mulling how to use a prop or activity to talk about stem cells, and it suddenly came to me that paper and origami is a bit like the process. The whole idea of starting from a blank slate. Depending on the instructions you follow, makes a different object. If you start with a stem cell, you can make any type of cell you find in the body. And that made me think it was quite a nice analogy to talk to the public about.”

Her initial idea was made a reality when Southworth began working with science and math educators Karen Jent and Tung Ken Lam. Together the team developed an interactive activity where people used paper to build 3D hearts that can actually beat.

Southworth said that as a science communicator, educating the public is the focus of her work. But she also believes that educating scientists on how to communicate with the public effectively is equally important.

“Part of my job is to make sure that the scientists feel confident in the activities that they are going to deliver, and also that they are having a good time as part of the engagement work.”

The video also touches on important science communications tips like teaching scientists the art of storytelling. Southworth emphasized that having scientists talk about their personal story of why they are pursuing their research adds a human component that is key to connecting with their audience. Karen Jent also added that it’s important to understand your audience and their needs,

“You always have to think about what kind of audience you’re addressing and bear in mind that people aren’t all the same kinds of learners.”

Where are my stem cells?

CIRM is also dedicated to educating the public about stem cells and the importance of stem cell research. We have our own educational resources on our website, but we love to use materials from other organizations like EuroStemCell in our public engagement activities.

One of our favorite public engagement events is the Bay Area Science Festival Discovery Day held at AT&T park. This event attracts over 50,000 people, mainly young kids and their parents who are excited to learn about science and technology. At our booth, we’ve done a few different activities to teach kids about stem cells. One activity, which is great for young kids, is using Play-Doh to model embryonic development.

Another fun activity, this one developed by EuroStemCell, that we added last year was called “Where are my stem cells?”. It’s a game that teaches people that stem cells aren’t just found in the developing embryo. You’re given laminated cutouts of human organs and tissues, which you’re asked to place on a white board that has an outline of your body. While you are doing this, you learn that there are different types of adult stem cells that live in these tissues and organs and are responsible for creating the cells that make up those structures.

If you’re interested in doing public engagement activities around stem cell education, the resources mentioned in this blog are a great start. I’d also recommend checking out the Super Cells, Power of Stem Cells exhibit, which is touring Europe, USA and Canada. It’s a wonderful interactive exhibit that explains the concept of stem cells and how they can be used to understand and treat disease. It’s also a great example of a collaboration between stem cell organizations including CIRM, CCRM, EuroStemCell, Catapult Cell Therapy and the Stem Cell Network.

We got a chance to check out the Super Cells exhibit last year when it visited the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. You can read more about it and see pictures in our blog.