Service Meets Science: AmeriCorps at ISB

Since 2021, the ISB Education team has partnered with Washington Service Corps, an AmeriCorps program, welcoming four AmeriCorps members in various important roles over that timespan.

AmeriCorps, a national service program, places dedicated individuals in organizations across the country to meet critical community needs. At ISB, AmeriCorps members have brought curiosity, passion, and fresh perspectives to our work. They have been instrumental in expanding STEM opportunities for high school students, developing innovative curricula, and supporting programs that connect science, health, and community impact.

“For ISB, this collaboration has meant more and deeper direct support for over 1,500 high school students both in and out of classrooms. This has led to collaborative community action and service projects while helping to inspire the next generation of scientists and critical thinkers,” said Claudia McLaughlin Ludwig, director of ISB’s Systems Education Experiences program. 

AmeriCorps members, meanwhile, were offered a unique window into systems biology research and education, providing training, mentorship, and leadership opportunities that will shape their future careers.

Please read on to hear from AmeriCorps members Sarah Clemente and Faduma Hussein about their experiences.

Sarah Clemente

AmeriCorps member Sarah Clemente joined the ISB Education team as a Systems Thinkers in STEM Ambassador Coordinator in 2023.

Faduma Hussein

In 2024, AmeriCorps member Faduma Hussein joined the ISB Education team as the Public Health Ambassador Coordinator. 

Faduma reflects on her time at ISB below:

After receiving my bachelor’s degree, I carefully considered my next steps. I always knew I was interested in working with health information and wanted to continue my education. I didn’t know where to start exactly, but I looked for opportunities that aligned with my interests, which led me to AmeriCorps, which introduced me to ISB. There were a few opportunities that caught my attention that are health-related and this was one of those opportunities. I believed the role blended my previous experiences and future goals nicely. I value ISB’s focus on education and systems thinking.

In April we were forced to pause our service term by the federal government. Being able to return to my role at ISB in June has made me look at things from a fresh perspective. I became more appreciative of everything, even the small things. Feeling fortunate enough to continue my service and promote health literacy in my community is incredibly meaningful to me. Honestly, the service pause awakened me and made me reset my priorities. I did not want to take this opportunity for granted. I would like to show up every day for the people around me and be able to exercise the skillset necessary to accomplish goals.

I had the chance to take on numerous tasks, including scheduling and leading the workshops for the Systems Thinker in STEM Ambassadorship (STiSA) to improve STEM education and provide a starting point for ambassadors to pursue research projects outside the traditional classroom setting. Offering support to educators and building curriculum has been a real role reversal for me. I am especially grateful for the opportunity to meet so many lovely, hardworking people who are doing inspiring work. I was learning something new every day. Helping a small but mighty nonprofit research organization to improve science and health literacy has been really insightful.

I will take the skills I’ve gained through this service term with me in future roles. I feel fortunate for the fact that I can look back on my time as an AmeriCorps member with positive thoughts and say that I have created something new. Seeing the outcome of months of effort and work to offer a new micro-course with the help of my generous colleagues was fruitful. I especially enjoyed meeting with students one-on-one and seeing their drive to pursue their interests for a community action project to improve health and wellness in their communities. I’ve been inspired by their dedication and hard work. 

Taking accountability and being responsible for gathering information and data has greatly increased my skill set. With the help of my supervisor and colleagues, I have been able to approach tasks from a systems perspective by considering multiple perspectives and have sharpened my critical thinking skills immensely. 

Also, there is a strong focus at ISB on collaborative work. You need people with bright minds to make a real-world impact. Being a part of a team that exercises their learning muscles every day to break things down from a systems perspective to holistically understand scientific topics to improve health and wellness has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my service term. 

Addressing challenges like health disparities requires a large group of people who can effectively communicate and share their ideas to make a lasting change, even more so when communicating information to young learners, such as high school students. 

Reflecting on my service term, I hope I made a small but positive difference in the lives of students. I feel confident that they can now advocate for themselves and others by taking action in their communities. This also includes having the knowledge of telehealth services and the importance of preventive care. Furthermore, facilitating the leadership program, Leadership, Empowerment, and Development in STEM (LEADS), for the second time, has been an equally rewarding experience. I had the opportunity to see students who were initially shy and/or unsure of their place in STEM or leadership develop confidence with each session.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed mentoring ISB’s students, who are inquisitive about STEM topics, and especially valued witnessing their growth throughout their participation in the program. Leading workshops in an effort to strengthen STEM identity and build systems thinking skills has been very fulfilling. Providing service in my community by supporting healthy futures has left a significant impact on me. When I began my service, I had some knowledge of what this role might entail, but never did I expect to have these experiences. This shaped my outlook on STEM, health, wellness, research, and education. I am grateful for this opportunity to serve my community and will use the knowledge I have gained in the journey ahead.