UBRP Pen Pals is Back!

Visiting Pen Pals from Mansfeld Middle School take a tour of a University of Arizona laboratory

While the Undergraduate Biology Research Program’s primary purpose is to pair University of Arizona students with researchers in biological sciences, it also offers their talented and diverse students a platform for community building and outreach called the UBRP Pen Pals. The Pen Pals Program pairs UBRPers with science students from Mansfeld Middle School just across the street from the University!

The program offers middle school students an unprecedented opportunity to engage with researchers and learn first-hand what science is like at the University level. UBRP Pen Pals has been running strong for 12 years, virtually during the COVID-era, but it has now returned in full swing for Fall 2021. Twenty-three UBRP participants are currently making monthly contact with 32 8^th graders from Mansfeld Middle School, connecting with them over hobbies, music, and of course, science! And, to top it all off, at the end of the semester the Mansfeld students are able to visit the University of Arizona and take an exciting tour of some of their Pen Pals’ labs and partake in science activities! The UBRP Pen Pals are overjoyed to connect with these students and inspire their curiosity and fascination with science.