Last week, New Heights 10th-grade students attended a seminar on green energy led by Dr. Sarah Soltau, Associate Professor of Chemical Sciences at Bridgewater State University (BSU). This seminar offered students a unique opportunity to explore the world of renewable energy and discover how to be better stewards of our planet.

This was the second year our students participated in hands-on science learning at BSU. In a note to her colleagues, 10th-grade ELA teacher Nicole Tamarisk summarized the students’ experience. She wrote,”I just wanted to share how enjoyable and meaningful the STEM field trip to BSU was for our students. The experience provided them with an authentic lab opportunity connected to solving real-world problems like climate change.”

Ms. Tamarisk explained that students explored green chemistry by learning how natural products—such as blackberries—can be used to develop solar cells. It was an eye-opening experience for the scholars to see how the science they learn in the classroom applies to professional research.

Exploring the Campus Labs

Building on the success of last year, the visit extended beyond the chemistry lab. At the Chemistry lab, students built solar cells using fruits like strawberries and blueberries. Students toured the BSU Observatory. Scholars learned how stars function and even viewed the sun through a specialized telescope. Students explored the tropical greenhouse, deepening their knowledge on photonics & physics and seeing how tropical plants can grow in cold places like Massachusetts. Students concluded their scientific field trip by spending time at the laser physics labs to see how laser technology impacts everything from medicine to advanced research.

Preparing for the Future

As an Early College school, our mission is to prepare students for the rigors of higher education. Partnering with universities like BSU supports our students’ thirst for knowledge and provides essential hands-on experience.

This trip reinforced our core belief: our scholars don’t have to simply imagine themselves on a college campus—at New Heights, they are already living it.