By Michelle Weissler, GHS Class of 2025
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A unique student initiative at Greenwich High School is making waves by bringing science education to both high school students and senior citizens, all sparked by a shared classroom experience.
The club, co-founded by two students, Sonia Patel and Olivia Popp who met in their freshman honors biology class, has grown from a small group of enthusiasts into a community-focused organization dedicated to “educate the community” and spark curiosity in biomedicine.
“We co-founded it starting sophomore year, and basically it all started when we were in the same freshman honors bio class, and we had Ms. Myers, who was actually our advisor,” one of the founders recalled. “That was like the first time, like we didn’t even know each other, but both of us realized that we were really interested in what we were doing in class – but almost didn’t expect it.”
With a shared love for biology and a desire to keep learning, the students decided to take action. “We just wanted to keep something going because it was so interesting to us, and we genuinely enjoyed learning about it.”
From Classroom Curiosity to Community Outreach
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The club’s early days focused on making science accessible and fun for their peers. “When we first started our club, it was in sophomore year and we focused more on kind of, like learning about, like current biomedical innovations and kind of researching more simpler topics and doing like presentations to the club with like cahoots or like fun activities to go with that,” the founders explained.
But the mission quickly expanded beyond the high school. “We kind of decided to work on expanding it to the community, that kind of provides scientific enrichment to others, and we started with seniors. So, like, in nursing homes, or, like, assisted living facilities, and we basically would do these presentations and we keep them really simple, but we’d always have, like, an activity to go with it,” they explained. Presentations at The Mews in Greenwich and Sturges in Fairfield became monthly events, each paired with creative activities—like building DNA models out of gummy bears or Play-Doh—to help residents visualize scientific concepts.
The response from seniors was overwhelmingly positive. “A lot of them used to be in science, so they’d tell us our presentations reminded them of their old days. We even got emails saying they loved it and couldn’t wait for us to come back. That was really exciting to hear.”
Monthly Presentations and Growing Enthusiasm
The club now works with two nursing homes, The Mews in Greenwich and Sturges in Fairfield. “We basically do one presentation there every month. So, like, now in the club, it’s a little more focused on, like, preparing for those presentations and, like, thinking of engaging activities that we can do.”
The founders emphasized the importance of keeping science approachable and enjoyable for all ages. “We keep them really simple, but we’d always have, like, an activity to go with it… just to, like, help them visualize it.”
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Expanding Horizons: Reaching Younger Students
This year, the club is broadening its impact by visiting local middle schools. “When I was in middle school, I didn’t even know what biomedicine was,” one founder reflected. “Introducing younger students to these topics could help them discover interests and possible career paths they never considered.”
The club’s mission has grown from sharing knowledge with peers to educating the wider community—young and old alike. Club members now help create and deliver presentations, gaining experience and confidence while fostering a love of science in others.
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Looking Ahead
The founders hope to continue expanding their outreach, welcoming new opportunities to engage with different age groups. “Our main goal is to educate the community and share our passion for biomedicine,” they emphasized. “It’s been amazing to see how much the club has grown—from just teaching our own members to making a difference in the lives of seniors and now middle schoolers. Everyone really enjoys the presentations—it’s fun, engaging, and meaningful.”