Kennebunk Students Are Using Hands-On Tools to Learn Biology!

Kennebunk High School students are getting hands-on experience with the same technology that's in professional laboratories worldwide, giving them exposure to real-world lab techniques and career-ready skills!

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) equipment, along with gel electrophoresis apparatus and specialized centrifuges, allows AP biology students to perform advanced genetic manipulation experiments that mirror real-world applications in medical diagnostics, research, and vaccine development.

"This is the same exact technology that industrial labs use to create actual biological tools,” said senior Caroline Tabor. “It's the same stuff that's used for ancestry DNA and gene mapping."

The $5,000 equipment grant from the Education Foundation of Kennebunk and Arundel (EFKA) has transformed how students learn molecular biology concepts, replacing theoretical textbook learning with career-relevant laboratory experience.

"I would rather see them learn the basics of those lab skills at the high school level rather than getting to college and being a little bit lost," Battagliese said. "Having those biotech skills already is going to help them out in college."

The program's success has prompted plans to expand access to these technologies beyond AP classes to other biology courses, giving more students exposure to the same PCR technology that continues to be vital in medical diagnostics, forensics, and pharmaceutical research.

"There's a lot of cool stuff making ground in the field of science, and I'm excited to see where it goes," Juion Quinn Wherley said. "This lab has really helped me see all that."

You can read more about this exciting student experience on the RSU 21 Website.