# Discover SCIENCE with Dr. Bear

> **NIH NIH R25** · CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2020 · $240,053

## Abstract

Project Summary
“Discover SCIENCE (a Scientific Creative Innovative Engaging New Cool Experience) with Dr. Bear” will
incorporate lessons learned from our previously funded SEPA, based in 5 Title I elementary schools in the
District of Columbia and Prince George’s County Maryland. In this proposal, “SCIENCE” will engage a new
audience of learners in their out of school time in the setting of community libraries. We will provide
programming that uses hands- on, inquiry-based learning based on our established art and science curriculum
designed to improve the physical, cognitive and social development of children and their families. “SCIENCE”
will include instructional units, web based activities and ‘hands on/ brains on’ manipulation utilizing our
compact, portable and unique “art and science in a box”, which consolidates all materials needed to bring
excitement to STEM learning. We will focus on preventative health areas of concern to our community
including asthma, stress, cardiometabolic risk, sleep, behavioral issues including bullying, genetic diseases like
sickle cell disease and, injury prevention at home, in school and with sports. We will also provide professional
development training for informal educators.
Specifically, we will adapt our previously successful in-school curriculum for a broader group of children from
grades K to 5 who utilize the District of Columbia Public Libraries (DCPL) and Enoch Pratt Free Library (EPFL).
The curriculum is aligned to both Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards and
will be expanded with the addition of bioengineering/imaging/computing, and mindfulness. With our integrated-
art focused STEM and preventative health educational program, we will empower children by encouraging
curiosity and discovery as well as providing tools to incorporate health and science messaging to improve
school readiness.
Over the course of the five years, we will implement the program progressively in 10 DCPL branches and 2
Baltimore branches. Programming will take place during winter and spring breaks, professional development
days, special holidays and weekends. We will continue our successful one week hospital summer program, Dr.
Bear’s Summer Science Experience, an interactive STEAM experience which takes place in the hospital and
its research laboratories. In addition to student focused programming, we will also create Family Learning
Events, entertaining and collaborative programs for families, to be held in DCPL and EPFL branches with a
focus on disease prevention which adversely affects our community Take home materials will include
handouts, web resources, apps and links in in both English and Spanish and will focus on reading readiness
and mastery of STEM concepts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10016345
- **Project number:** 5R25GM129225-04
- **Recipient organization:** CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** NAOMI L LUBAN
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $240,053
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10016345

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10016345, Discover SCIENCE with Dr. Bear (5R25GM129225-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10016345. Licensed CC0.

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