For several Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Upward Bound students, making ice cream in class was one of many highlights of the Food Science and Technology Program.
“I loved the food science class,” said Lonnie Roberson, Upward Bound BEM student at the SIUE East St. Louis Center. “It was fun, and gave me a lot of information on what is put into the food we eat.”
Roberson was one of 21 freshman Upward Bound EC and BEM students selected to participate in a five-week Food Science and Technology Program presented by PryCor Technologies, LLC, a start-up science and engineering technology company based in St. Louis. The program began Monday, June 20 and ended Friday, July 22.
PryCor introduced students to science, engineering, and technology from “farm to fork” and learned through interactive presentations and hands-on experiments. The program also included “real-life experiences” and industry tours where students visited the DuPont Company and learned about sensory science, food processing and food innovation and applications development.
“The food science project with PryCor was a great way to get students to explore foods in a hands-on and experiential way,” said Upward Bound Program Director Javonda Quinn. “I loved having the opportunity to expose the students to science and math in a more creative way. My hope is to continue to bring this kind of engaging instruction into the academic year.”
“We hope this program not only provided students with an awareness of career opportunities in food science and technology, but also will contribute to developing a workforce pipeline of diverse talent for the food and nutritional sciences industry in the greater St. Louis region,” said Seqwana Pryor, PhD, PryCor CEO and co-founder.
“I learned about nutrition and about different ingredients that are in food,” said Geraldine Smith, Upward Bound EC student. “The parts I liked best were the field trips and the experiments.”
“The session about what goes into ice cream was especially interesting!” added Roberson.
“This partnership with PryCor is part of a larger strategy here at the SIUE East St. Louis Center to provide highly engaging learning experiences for our students while exposing them to careers that get them excited about their future,” said SIUE East St. Louis Center Executive Director Jesse Dixon. “When our students learned about, touched and tasted the soy protein that is manufactured by DuPont and is an ingredient in the everyday meat products we eat – from Slim Jims to frozen beef patties – that got them really interested in exploring food engineering and science careers.”
Upward Bound (UB) helps youth prepare for higher education. Participants receive instruction in literature, composition, mathematics and science on college campuses after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. UB serves students from the following high schools: East St. Louis and Cahokia (EC) and Brooklyn, East St. Louis Charter and Madison (BEM).
With a focus on empowering people and strengthening communities, the SIUE East St. Louis Center is dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals - from pre-school through adult - in the Metro East. Head Start/Early Head Start and a charter high school are among the programs that offer the community renewed hope and an opportunity to reach educational, career and life goals. The Center also assigns first priority to encouraging, supporting and improving the educational success of the residents of East St. Louis and surrounding urban communities. The Center provides comprehensive programs, services and training in the areas of education, health, social services and the arts.
Photo:
A group of ESLC Upward Bound students took a tour to learn about food science and technology at the DuPont Company in St. Louis.