Speaker 1: 0:30

I am Dr Christy McDowell, I have a PhD in molecular biology and my business is called Baby Scientist and we are a nonprofit 501C3, and we are a STEM or science education nonprofit. We are mobile, we're a mobile nonprofit and so we go out into the community, the DMV and beyond, and we do science workshops hands-on that's my main thing hands-on science activities, experiments, you know, because our mission is to inspire, motivate and educate. You know, children, primarily children of color, from underserved communities to, you know, get involved with science to gain a love of science, you know, to let them know that, hey, you can, Absolutely, you know. And and also it's to to build the confidence of the kids, Right, you know, confidence is key for anybody and whatever you do. And so if they become a scientist, if they become a cook, you know I want them to have that confidence in themselves and in their abilities. You know they get a good dose of science, but they also are able to have that complete, that completeness, the satisfaction of doing something being successful.

Speaker 2: 2:07

Yeah, and thus, you know, hopefully building their confidence and and gaining a love for science? Yeah, absolutely, and just the fact that you were able to give them that opportunity to explore that option Sometimes people don't even get that option to- explore that and they just go right into something and they say later on man, I wish I had known like if I was good at science or something. So that's wonderful, yeah, thank you, thank you.

Speaker 1: 2:22

Yeah, that's key, that's key and uh, yeah, just to introduce them and then for them to see a black scientist. You know, you know. So many people tell me all the time oh you're the first black scientist I've met of time. Oh, you're the first black scientist I've met or you're the first scientist, you know, I mean the end.

Speaker 2: 2:42

you know that that I've met, so so it's that as well. What did you change in the game?

Speaker 1: 2:44

already. Hey, I'm trying to. I'm trying one step at a time, you know, um, like I say, baby scientists, inspiring one mind at a time, exactly. So, um, so that's what we do.

Speaker 2: 2:51

And I would like to ask how did you get the name, what made you want to start this particular nonprofit, and why is it so important for you to help these kids?

Speaker 1: 3:00

Yeah, yeah, so the name came about back in the day when I was young I'm not a kid anymore, but some days I wish I was a kid again, right. Those days Back in the late 90s, it was like 98, 99. I was applying to grad school, I had finished up undergrad, I had partied a little bit and I was like, okay, I can get my life together and get into grad school. You know, that was my path, that was my goal. So, and you know, emails were still new, you know. And so I had to develop an email. And so I was sitting at the computer trying to think of an email and so I was like, you know, exploring all types of things. I was like baby scientist. I was like I'm going to grad school to be a scientist, and a big scientist, right. And so right now I'm a baby scientist. And so that's where I came up with the name baby scientist, back in like 98, 99. And. And so baby scientist at Yahoo dot com has been my email since then. So we're going on 25 years, yeah. And so baby scientist is me. And so when I came up with the idea I've always wanted to give back to my community, and especially it came about in undergrad, came up with the idea. I've always wanted to give back to my community and especially, uh, it it came about in undergrad. You know, I've always had a love for science and um, and so I wanted to give back. And especially when I got in grad school I was like, okay, I'm going to develop some type of, you know, have like summer camps or, you know, like a school outdoors type thing for kids and um and so um. So I always knew that I wanted to do something with kids to inspire them, you know, uh, and be in the realm of science and um and so um.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Let's say what are we in? 24, probably seven, eight years ago, I decided to. You know, I had finished up fellowships, I had a job at the FDA and things weren't going the way I wanted to, and so I was like, let me just go ahead and do it, you know, because you know you have your plans right. Oh, when life gets perfect in this little circle, then I'm going to start. You know, I have my job, I can support it.

Speaker 1: 5:14

Well, none of that happened. You know, I was unemployed, I didn't know what I was going to do. I'm like I'm a PhD scientist with no job. I want, you know, I really want to do this, and so my friends and my spouse encouraged me, like, just start it. And so I started, you know, writing up all the doing, the paperwork and everything I need to do so in 2018, baby scientists became a reality and um and so um. We've been going strong ever since. And and I I one day I was driving around I lived in Gaithersburg a while ago and I was driving around and I saw I think it's J Craig Venter um Institute and they had a mobile lab outside of their uh, and I was like a mobile lab, and so that stayed with me for a long time. And and so that's why I was like I want to do that, I want to have a mobile lab laboratory, and so I don't have it yet. You know, an actual laboratory. We are mobile and we go around you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 6:10

But and so I started back in 2018 and, and you know, out of my truck, you know, so I have a big truck that I drive around and put all the equipment in, everything that we need to do the activities and experiments, and and so, like I said, I go all over the DC, maryland, virginia. We've been to LA, to Philadelphia. Just got back from New Orleans Road trip yeah, exactly Exactly. So I go all over, you know, trying to inspire the babies. I love that. Yeah, I got to catch them when they're babies.

Speaker 2: 6:43

Yeah, yeah, everything like a sponge.

Speaker 1: 6:44

That's right, it's key. And right now I, you know, we've grown to where I have a couple of afterschool programs in DC and one in Maryland and you know I was just thinking the other day and the kid one of the schools. They are pre-K-3 through second grade and I've worked with them for almost a year now. Yeah, and I was like you know, I was telling my spouse, I was like these kids are the fruits of my labor. Right, this group of kids could be, you know, in 20 years, you know, our future doctors, scientists, exactly, exactly. And I'm like you know, they're so young, they're just absorbing, they love baby scientists, because the school was like their funding got cut and so they had to cut some program and they'll be like we can't cut baby scientists because they will not allow us. I say yeah, it'd be a riot up in the hallway.

Speaker 2: 7:41

Oh my gosh the passion.

Speaker 1: 7:43

Love those kids for that. Yeah, exactly, I love the babies, that's right. Keep calling for baby scientists. So you know. So it's just, you know, just planting seeds, you know, and hopefully these will bloom into some scientists. You know, like you say, our future scientists, engineers, doctors, are, you know, developing the next form of AI or whatever it shall be Right, next molecular biologist, that's so beautiful.

Speaker 2: 8:07

I love that. This is your mission and I commend you. I'd like to ask you what kind of experiments do these babies do? Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1: 8:15

You know, I do the same experiments with pre-K-3 that I will do with a 12th grader. Okay, okay, wow, yeah, and so I just modify it right, yeah, so you know, we do anything from extracting DNA, designing DNA forensics, dna forensics recreating the human cell, recreating the plant cell, volcanoes. You know, we do the volcanoes, the lava lamp. Yeah, we do all you know we do. The span Just got into little drones. Oh, the kids went crazy.

Speaker 2: 8:51

This is awesome. I want to join.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Oh my goodness, I'm always looking for volunteers. So if you would like to volunteer for Baby Scientist, just contact me. Reach out, I'm always looking for volunteers. And so what else do we do? We do fun stuff, just for prepping. I do one thing that the kids love They've been asking for it all semester, and it's a plant sale that we recreate, but it's with candy and cookies.

Speaker 2: 9:19

Talk to me about that.

Speaker 1: 9:20

Yeah so. And so I take a chocolate chip cookie, I get that big dough and I make a big pan of it and then I cut it into nice little squares, because plant cells are square. So then we get green icing and we cover that. You know so it. You know that represents the cytoplasm, and also, you know plants are green, right. And so we learn about the different parts of the cell, and so we use candy to recreate the different parts of the cell, and so in the end we have an edible plant cell that they tear up at the end and I try to say please take it home so your friends can see it and then eat it.

Speaker 2: 9:56

They're like no, I can eat it right now.

Speaker 1: 9:58

Watch me Right exactly, and so they love that, and so that's what we're going to do this week.

Speaker 2: 10:02

That's so fun and engaging.

Speaker 1: 10:03

I wish I had a way.

Speaker 2: 10:04

I remember sometimes I had trouble keeping my attention when it came to science stuff. And I would just be like I don't understand.

Speaker 1: 10:09

So if you're actively, engage you even more, so that's wonderful it does it does it, keeps them engaged, involved, you know, asking questions, you know that's the biggest thing and then, and then working with each other, you know so, um, so, that's um, that's the thing. Oh, another thing we did recently that I was so excited. It's called baby scientist, ocean Right, and so it's. It's uh, we make uh this piece of paper and, uh, we and we take Play-Doh, we have molds, and so we had a turtle, a dolphin, a starfish, a jellyfish, a whale, and they take Play-Doh and they make those animals and they put them on the sheet and they have the names underneath them and so they know the different types of animals in the ocean that live there and stuff.

Speaker 2: 11:04

So that's one of our our latest activities that we do. So I'd like to ask you about marketing and what you're doing to get your name out there. Um, because I feel like what you're doing is so great, but it would be wonderful if people knew more about it so they could have their children, their, their kids, their babies come on in and join the party here.

Speaker 1: 11:18

Yeah, you know, it's just been word of mouth. You know I, before COVID hit, you know I was trying to do camps and I sent out mailers and all that stuff and then COVID came and it just knocked all it out. So since then I haven't really been doing any marketing. You know, um, I will do science festivals, um, throughout the community If someone calls and requests us to come and have a table. Um, but, uh, primarily she's been word of mouth and God's blessings. You know that people have been learning about us and and hiring us and uh, working with us. Yeah, yeah, so, um, I do. I do have a website, babyscientistorg, and uh, my contact information is there. People can email me. Uh, I do have Instagram, babyscientist, underscore dot, underscore org and um, so people can contact me in those.

Speaker 2: 12:08

And then when they're working with you, can it be like partnerships, sponsorships, coming maybe for a birthday party for a kid, um, schools have you and maybe do some workshops? Tell me all the types of things that people can hire you for, in case they're listening and they're interested in maybe something.

Speaker 1: 12:23

Yeah, yeah, most definitely yes, um, like I said, I do after-school programs, I do in-school programming, um, I do, uh, workshops, camps, we I'm trying to do like um, all day, like a mini baby scientist festival, you know, um, that's something I want to do. Um, but yeah, um. And I do do birthday parties sometimes. You know, I've done a few um, and those have been fun Um, but yeah, um, we come in, I do, I can do an hour workshop. Most of my workshops were an hour, 45 minutes to two hours, okay, you know, depending upon you know how many kids what you want done, or I could do it all day.

Speaker 2: 13:06

Or I could do a multi-day workshop yeah.

Speaker 1: 13:10

One to two day festival there for the kiddos.

Speaker 2: 13:12

Yes, yes.

Speaker 1: 13:13

You know, depending upon your time, your funding and I work with all budgets, you know. So you know what I charge one person. You make it a different. You know price and so, but you know, because my main thing is to you know to cover. You know, uh, price and so, um, but you know cause my main thing is to you know to cover.

Speaker 1: 13:32

You know supplies and travel and everything, and and and then to you know, help the business, but, um, but my goal is to is to help the kids, help the babies, to inspire and and who, whomever out there is looking to inspire, and to plant seeds and motivate their children in STEM or STEAM. You know, that's what I'm all about. You know, and we, we can do it. But, yeah, I do it all, and I do have some partnerships. Um, one partnership that I'm proud of is the DEA, the Drug Enforcement Administration. They have an outreach program and I'm one of their partners, and so that's why I was in New Orleans. Um, you know, we did, uh, I did six, five schools, almost 200 kids. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2: 14:12

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 14:13

New Orleans through New Orleans and Baton Rouge traveled up and down those highways doing those and those kids were. They were amazing, you know, and they were so excited, you know, they get the lab coats and the goggles.

Speaker 2: 14:24

The whole real deal, right? Yeah, yeah, we give them a science kit.

Speaker 1: 14:27

You know, and, and so you know my, my thing is, like I said, I want to be mobile. I mean, I have a mobile laboratory, yes and um and so um, that that's my quest is I'm I'm trying to gain money, build money, looking for that donor. If you would like to donate, you know, um, for a good cause for a good cause.

Speaker 1: 14:44

That's right. Our future leaders. Um, you know I'm looking to to purchase a, you know, like a big motor coach and convert into a laboratory so that I can travel all around non-stop. You know that is the goal yeah yeah, and um and so uh. So we, we, um, you know we're moving and shaking and uh trying to make it happen.

Speaker 2: 15:07

Yeah, I can't wait, like when you have your full-on bus and you're just like two, two yeah, like all aboard baby scientists, right coming to a town near you. Yeah, to a city near you, and I'd like to ask you I know you say you do like a lot of it, but do you have like a team or maybe some help?

Speaker 1: 15:22

I do, I do and uh, that is uh a constant blessing, because they come and go, I, I, I'm a adjunct professor in Northern Virginia community college, and so I get my interns from there.

Speaker 2: 15:37

What better place right?

Speaker 1: 15:39

Right, the majority of them are my students or friends of students or you know something like that. And so, and so you know the community college is two years and so I have them for usually around that time, and then they, you know, matriculate on to another place and you know, schedules change, so I have an influx. You know, students right now have a great group. I have about six or seven interns, nice, yeah, yeah, and, and so I try to give them a small stipend.

Speaker 1: 16:09

You know, I've gotten to the point where I can, you know, pay my students a little, something, you know, to help out, no-transcript learning to be leaders and teachers and learning how to interact with different groups and different types of kids. You know, because we come in, you know, contact with all types of children and, uh, and all types of learning. You know abilities and of learning abilities and and behavioral, sometimes behavior issues, but you learn to be, you know, you learn patience, you learn, you know to to to one way, with this kid is not going to be with this kid, but but love and guidance and a smile goes a long way and encouragement, you know. And so, um, and, and they, I have a really good team right now. I'm really happy and proud of them. They held it down for me when I was in new Orleans.

Speaker 2: 17:16

You know my team.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Yeah, shout out to my team. You know the um programs kept going. You know, and my spouse is a, is a big, you know contributor to Baby Scientist as well. You know she and I started, you know, from the beginning. You know.

Speaker 2: 17:30

Gotta have that support. It's so important it is. It is you can't do it alone. Sometimes you think you can but, and you can't, it's it's possible, but it's a little. It's a little harder, it is it is.

Speaker 1: 17:40

That is the most truth you could ever speak, because you know you have to have someone there, you know, holding you down, you know, and supporting you and encouraging you when times get tough, you know, and to be there in the battle and be there in the good and the bad times.

Speaker 2: 17:59

Well, I'm so glad you have that Thank you.

Speaker 1: 18:00

Thank you, me too, me too, and so it's been a great journey. You know what we're in like five and a half years now.

Speaker 2: 18:08

Congratulations, thank you, thank you Love it. I'd like to ask you I know, it's been five years on that. On that topic of five years, where do you see yourself in the next five years as a person and with your business? I know you're hoping to get that laboratory mobile going. Anything else that you see for yourself? Yeah, yeah, you know I have.

Speaker 1: 18:27

I have so many ideas, right, let's manifest, yeah, yeah, and they're just waiting on the sidelines and waiting for that. You know I always say we're going to hit a lick, hit a lick. You know when we hit that lick, when we get that, when we get that big donor or multiple donors that just want to, you know. You know. You know flourish and want baby science to flourish even further than we have. You know, um, I have games, I have um science kits, I have clothing, um dolls and everything that I want to produce. You know I want to get in stores. You know, um, with baby scientist, I want to get in stores. You know, with baby scientists, kids, baby scientists, dolls, little scientists, we have, like I said, we have multiple. We have some memory games, you know, with the kids, that's all you know, science-based and everything. So you know that's something that I really would like to open up and explore. You know I would like to, you know, get to that point where I can have a staff, a full-time staff.

Speaker 2: 19:29

You know that I pay, you know yeah, that's the dream.

Speaker 1: 19:32

On a regular basis, you know, so that I can have an assistant. I don't have to do every little thing, you know, cause it becomes a lot at times you know, but um, but yes, I would like to have a staff and um so that we could, you know, continue to grow and to flourish and, uh, and to to be, have a bigger presence, you know, within um, within the community and beyond.

Speaker 2: 19:57

Yes, and then one more time, just show your shirt. Oh yeah, they can uh, reach out to baby scientists. We got the merch going, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 20:04

Thank you. Thank you, yeah, you can reach me. My phone number is on my website. My email is on my website. Like I said, instagram, you know, and Facebook, you know. Not too much on Twitter, you know, but those are my main things.

Speaker 2: 20:20

Instagram and Facebook. Love it, yeah. And then is there anything maybe that I have not touched on, whether it's about yourself, your business or industry, the kiddos, maybe a fun fact, and science, or anything that you would like to share with the audience. You have the floor for that.

Speaker 1: 20:36

OK, let's see what would I like to share, that you know anybody who's you know looking to help to contribute. You know I welcome, you know everyone, because my mission is near and dear to my heart. You know that's what I want people to know. That this mission is near and dear to me because I remember being a young scientist in undergrad walking down the halls feeling alone. You know, um, you know the walls were as wide as this table. All the people were you know what.

Speaker 1: 21:17

I'm saying, and it's like no other person of color. You know a lot, a lot of people from foreign countries, you know, and and it's like you, you would just like to have that connection. Everybody wants a connection, you know, and I don't think there's anything wrong with, you know, having that person there that looks like you, that you can connect with. You know, diversity is key. Diversity makes the world go round Right, and so we we want, you know, a more diverse pool of scientists, and that that is my goal to to make that happen.

Speaker 1: 21:50

And so I'm out here, you know, um, in these streets, like I say, I'm on this ground piling this pavement, you know putting that work in putting that work in you know we're in the dirt, we're in the mud, you know, planting seeds and that's, and that's the way it shall remain, you know. But I would like to grow and I just, you know, just looking for, you know, that next opportunity to grow and and and to be great, and for the little ones out there to be great.

Speaker 2: 22:21

You know, and so you know, I'm just just thankful, you know, for where we are and where we, where we're about to go exactly yeah, thank you for letting us be a little part of that, to get you know, to have you here and speak about your business and your history and backstory is wonderful, so thank you for taking the opportunity to be here now. My final question that I would like to ask you is do you have a quote or a saying, maybe, that has stuck out to you in your life? Maybe somebody told you something that was very inspiring and would you like to share that, to leave with our audience today?

Speaker 1: 22:54

Yeah, and then one thing, I'm sorry, would you mind just flipping the mic.

Speaker 1: 22:59

Oh, yes, sorry, not bad. Yeah, let's get that right. You know, it's something that I, through this educational journey that I've been on Right, three D's desire, determination and dedication. That's all you need. It's not about who's the smartest, it's just about who works the hardest. You know, and, and so I'm out here trying to let kids know that you don't have to be, you know, the most smart person in the world. You don't have to be a genius to be a scientist. You don't have to be a genius to be successful. You just have to have those three D's desire, determination and dedication and to understand that life is hard.

Speaker 1: 23:42

You know what I'm saying. So don't let the fact that someone tells you or you believe that something is hard stop you from being great or doing something that you love. Yeah, because you know you're just holding yourself back unnecessarily, right? And so I just want these kids to know that they are enough. They are great, they are great, they are smart enough, and that they can accomplish anything that they set their minds. I know that's, you know, cliche, right, but it's real, but it's true, it's true, and so that's what I want them to know. It's not about who's the smartest, it's about who works the hardest, and hard work, you know, never fails you.

Speaker 2: 24:26

Yes, I agree. Well said, I love it. Thank you for leaving us with that message. It's wonderful.

Speaker 1: 24:31

Thank you.

Speaker 2: 24:31

And again I appreciate you being here. It was an honor to speak.

Speaker 1: 24:35

Thank you for having me in and thank you for allowing me to tell the world about baby scientists, right, because we're up and coming and when you see.