About QUADS

Quinnipiac University Advancing Diversity in Science

QUADS is supported through the Connecticut Collegiate Awareness and Preparation Program (ConnCAP), Office of Higher Education. 

Our Purpose

The purpose of the QU Advancing Diversity in Science (QUADS) program is to engage high school students in Connecticut school districts in developing science skills and knowledge through a place-based science education experience. Supported by secondary science teachers (facilitators), QU students (mentors) and QU faculty, students will engage in activities designed to make sense of a community-based phenomenon or to solve a community problem.

Our Beliefs

These are our core principles, a set of presuppositions, which we hold as core intentions and beliefs.

Learning and teaching must be centered in student voice, interest, and curiosities.
Skills, abilities, and content must be learned and developed within context.
Social equity is a goal in education.
The chief impediments to equity are structures of oppression in education, and beyond, that create and sustain inequity; not the qualities of our under-represented students.
Through self-reflection and community negotiation educators, as learning facilitators, must authentically engage with and attend to their experience with injustice and inequity.

These principles and beliefs above are not accepted by everyone in our communities. You might personally experience discomfort or internal resistance to these. We invite you to recognize your reactions as entry points to self-reflection and understanding. We wish that you lean into this discomfort and push your own development, while recognizing we will not debate our core ideas.

You may ask, “Why am I feeling resistant?” or, “How does my own experience differ from the ideas presented here?” These types of questions will allow you to walk away with new insight that will allow you to continue to reflect on our work together.

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Leadership

Cindy Kern

Director and PI

Associate Teaching Professor
Quinnipiac University School of Education

Kristen Bourgault

Media Coordinator &
Faculty Mentor

Associate Teaching Professor
Quinnipiac University School of Education

Carrie DePetris-Duell

QUADS Coordinator &
District Coordinator

Grants and Contract Specialist
Quinnipiac University

Marion Sparago

Financial Coordinator

Assistant Dean of Operations
Quinnipiac University School of Education

Jen Duell-DePetris

Planning &
Development Facilitator

Science Teacher
Meriden Public Schools

Emily Sparago

Communication Coordinator

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Community Partners

We love our community! We are grateful to be working

with these partners.

Want to partner with us through one of our school communities? Reach out here.

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The Grant

HAMDEN, CT (July 14, 2021) – Quinnipiac University has received a $306,244 grant from the state Office of Higher Education to launch a Connecticut Collegiate Awareness and Preparation (ConnCAP) program aimed at engaging 100 under-resourced high school students from the Ansonia, Hamden and Meriden school districts in community-based science experiences.

The grant is renewable annually for three years and includes a university match of 25 percent.

Throughout the three-year program, Quinnipiac University Advancing Diversity in Science (QUADS) project members will partner with the high schools, engaging with the students and their respective communities and helping the students apply science knowledge and skills to understand community-based phenomenon or to solve a community problem. The project work will be supported through intensive mentorships with secondary science teachers and Quinnipiac faculty and students during the academic year as well as a weeklong on-campus summer experience.

"This is an awesome and timely opportunity for Quinnipiac to serve our community," said Cindy Kern, associate teaching professor in the School of Education at Quinnipiac. "QUADS facilitators use equity-based principles to design meaningful ways for students to both enhance and contextualize their college readiness and learn science while moving toward social justice."

Kern and Anna G. Brady, coordinator of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) program at Quinnipiac, will oversee the initiative.

"QUADS is an incredible opportunity for high school students to engage with their teachers and experience place-based science as an approach to authentically serve communities in and around their schools," Brady said. "QUADS is also a great opportunity for Quinnipiac students and faculty to serve as mentors and provide support and develop relationships with our QUADS participants."