8 THE QUEENS COURIER • OCTOBER 1, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
BioBus to set up permanent site at Astoria Houses
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
aacevedo@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Young scientists in Astoria Houses will
soon be able to explore their ecosystem
with BioBus, a science education nonprofit
with a mission to help people cultivate
a wonder for science and a deeper understanding
of the world around them.
Astoria Councilman Costa
Constantinides held a Zoom press conference
on Th ursday, Sept. 24, to announce
the new development, which comes aft er
a yearslong partnership with BioBus and
the Astoria Houses.
“BioBus has already been an amazing
partner here in western Queens, to introduce
more people to the wonders of science,”
said Constantinides. “I am so excited
we can mark Climate Week by making
BioBus a permanent fi xture at the Astoria
Houses. Th is will continue the Hallets
Point peninsula’s revolution into a leader
on sustainability.”
Th anks to a $304,000 allocation secured
by Constantinides in the city’s 2021 fi scal
budget, BioBus will be able to purchase a
new mobile lab for the site.
Community leaders Bishop Mitchell
G. Taylor and Astoria Houses Residents
Association President Claudia Cogler
were also in attendance during the conference,
each expressing their delight of
the permanent installation.
Ben Dubin-Th aler, the executive director
and founder of BioBus, showcased
some of the lab features of one of their
mobile buses, such as electron microscopes,
and its accessibility-friendly
design.
Th e permanent mobile lab at Astoria
Houses will become a living classroom,
with plans to install a solar array to power
it exclusively with renewable energy.
“Th e mentorship that’s going to be part
of this project is critical for us,” said
Dubin-Th aler, thanking Constantinides,
Bishop Taylor and Cogler for their leadership.
“You’re the political leaders, the
community leaders that convinced somebody
like me, a scientist, to devote my
career to inspiring the next generation of
scientists, especially young scientists who
don’t usually have that opportunity in
their communities.”
Th e new lab is slated to fi nish construction
by the end of 2021.
In the meantime, Dubin-Th aler encourages
interested pupils to visit biobus.org
for weekly live student town halls, recorded
science challenges for students to practice
hands-on experiments at home and
Discover classes for school groups.
In the last few years, BioBus brought
one of its mobile labs to the Astoria
Houses and other western Queens neighborhoods,
where they’ve off ered public
events, classes for school groups and aft er
school activities.
Queens native Nicholas Bustamante is
a junior scientist at BioBus who’s currently
pursuing an engineering degree
at Binghamton University. Bustamante
spoke about interning at the BioBus
program aft er his school counselor at
Bayside’s Benjamin N. Cardozo High
School provided him with their information.
“I never expected science to be as
engaging as BioBus made it to be,” said
Bustamante. “When you’re a high school
student, even through college, I thought
my experience would change. Science is
very linear when it comes to college —
there’s not much room to improve, you
learn the basics, but you don’t really get
to explore why things are the way they
are — but through BioBus, it really helps
you understand the topic and really fall in
love with how microscopes work and how
the science behind how everything really
functions in our lives.”
He said that access to a program like
BioBus in someone’s own neighborhood
Courtesy of BioBus
can make all the diff erence, and “gives
them no excuse to not chase their dreams.”
Constantinides and the community
leaders are hopeful this will encourage
young people in underserved communities
to pursue a career in the science fi eld.
“Last summer, we had the BioBus
parked out in front of the Astoria Houses.
Kids came into the bus and got to see
some of the ecosystems in the East River
in Hallets Cove, and it was amazing to see
that wonder on their faces, the curiosity
about the natural world, their desire to
learn more,” said Constantinides. “Th at’s
the spark that this is all about — creating
that spark, that love of science. Because
we don’t know always know what we want
to be when we grow up. I’m still trying to
fi gure it out at 45. And for young people,
it’s giving them that possibility to say, ‘Oh,
I want to do that. Th at looks fascinating. I
want to learn more. Maybe that’s what I’m
going to do with my life.’”
Courtesy of BioBus
A rendering of BioBus.
With the purchase of glasses,
contact lens e l.
2 Boxes of Lenses Frames & Lenses
DESIGNER FRAMES
PLUS FREE 2ND PAIR
* $200 minimum purchase on first pair of designer
frames. Second pair frame from select group with
Must present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this
location only. Not valid with any other offers, sales,
vision plans or packages.
Offer ends 10/31/20
offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must present
prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only.
Offer ends: 10/31/20
������������������������������brand clear sphericalLenses/*Contact
lens fitting additional. Not valid for Toric lenses. Not valid with
any other offers, sales, vision plans or packages. Must
present prior to purchase. Offer valid at this location only.
Some restrictions apply, see store for details.
Offer ends: 10/31/20
Select frames with clear plastic, single vision lensas
vision plans or packages. Must present prior to purchase.
Offer valid at this location only. Some restrictions apply,
see store for details
Offer ends: 10/31/20
SCHOOL SALES
8 8 8 BACK TO SCHOOL
2 PAIR OF
EYEGLASSES
Includes: POLYCARBONATE
LENSES
16 years or younger
10/31/20
/biobus.org
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
