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In coordination with the Briarcliff Manor Education Foundation, students will show off the comparison microscopes at the BMEF’s Grants In Action Demo Night at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Briarcliff High School. The two microscopes came to the school through a $3,700 BMEF grant last year, but students only recently started using the microscopes in the classroom this year. While microscopes allow a viewer to see enhanced images, the comparison microscopes allow viewers to see side-by-side comparisons and analyze the differences in real time and are being used in the high school’s forensic science classes.
Science teacher Dr. Robert Saar said the students have been using the microscopes for about a month and already are making new discoveries.
"We've already used them comparing shell casings and hairs and fibers," Saar said. "Unlike regular microscopes everyone uses in biology, these are linked together so it makes it really easy to compare similar items."
BMEF Co-President Liz Susman Karp said she's excited to see what the students will be able to discover in the future.
“These are really fascinating instruments and they give students real-world experience with science research,” Karp said. “The ability to compare two objects at the same time in detail is a huge benefit for biologists and forensic scientists.”
Karp said the Grants In Action program allows residents to see the direct impact of their donations and gives them hands-on experience that the students receive in the classroom.
“The idea is to bring parents and families into the classrooms to really have that experience first-hand and we’ve found it to be very successful,” Karp said. “It really gives people a chance to see how well the money has been spent and how it is enhancing their students’ learning.”
Saar and his students will offer a demonstration of the microscopes during the program. Parents and families are encouraged to attend, Karp said, but everyone must register for the free event at the BMEF website at thebmef.net.
Other events in the BMEF schedule include the Dine Around Day on March 7 and the Annual Dinner Dance at Trump National Golf Club on April 19.
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