To celebrate DNA Day we are joined by Dr. Stephanie Ryan! In this podcast episode, Dr. Ryan discusses science education and communication, especially making science understandable for kids.

To keep the celebrations going we will be co-hosting a virtual event on DNA Day itself, Monday, April 25th at 6pmET! During this special DNA Day event we will do a live DNA experiment with Dr. Stephanie Ryan. You can follow along at home to do the experiment with us! You can register for the event here.

Stephanie Ryan, Ph.D. is a chemist, boy mom, and a social media influencer who enjoys using her background in academia to create educational products and content, helping young kids learn through play about the fascinating world around them. Over the years, Dr. Ryan has taught science to all age groups, both in and out of the classroom, helping toddlers learn about their world and college students define theirs. She is an active member of the chemistry education community and is currently a committee member of the International Activities Committee for the Division of Chemical Education. Ryan earned her Ph.D. in the Learning Sciences and her M.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her B.S. in Chemistry from Saint Mary’s College.

On This Episode We Discuss:

Thoughts on correcting kids if they have an incorrect understanding

What to do if kids ask questions that we don’t know how to answer
Recommended resources for parents/caregivers to foster scientific curiosity in their children from a young age

The recommended age kids should start learning about STEM concepts

The inspiration behind Dr. Ryan’s book, “Lets Learn About Chemistry”
Advice for being a science communicator, especially on social media

Want a free copy of “Lets Learn About Chemistry”? Head over to our social media to enter our giveaway! Search “DNA Today” on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

For great learning activities in the sciences, book recommendations, and more, follow Dr. Ryan on Instagram and visit her website letslearnaboutscience.com.

Also don’t forget to mark your calendar for Monday, April 25th. It’s DNA Day! At 6pmET we will be co-hosting a virtual event with Dr. Ryan. She will be our guide for doing these at-home DNA experiments together! Register here.

Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Today on April 29, 2022, where we’ll be discussing the completion of the human genome with Dr. Eric Green, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)! New episodes are released on Fridays. In the meantime, you can binge over 180 other episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Today”. Episodes since 2021 are also recorded with video on our YouTube channel.

DNA Today is hosted and produced by Kira Dineen. Our social media lead is Corinne Merlino. Our video lead is Amanda Andreoli. Questions/inquiries can be sent to info@DNApodcast.com.

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