DELIVERING VIRTUAL
HEART AND SOUL To observe Heart Health Month in February 2021, educators had to find a way to reach students who were still learning remotely from home. With the help of a generous grant and a lot of creativity, the Jersey City Free Public Library, Liberty Science Center, and the Jersey City Public Schools' Department of Special Education collaborated to present a virtual field trip to LSC. More than 1,000 Jersey City students enjoyed a virtual connection to LSC’s Heart and Soul program, an exploration of heart health that culminates in a wild dance party—also known as a cardiovascular workout! Students were introduced to the work of Dr. Edward Hawthorne, former head of the department of physiology at Harvard, and his research on the cardiovascular system. During an era when Black doctors were not well represented in the research community, Dr. Hawthorne conducted a comparative study of species’ pulse rates. Viewers of the LSC program used his results to predict pulse rates of humans. The session made clear connections between the physiology of the cardiovascular system and the positive choices young people can make to preserve their heart health. As part of the same initiative, LSC later presented the Live From Surgery: Heart Transplant program to 300 middle school students in Jersey City. In the spring, the NJ STEM Networks awarded LSC and its partners in “Heart and Soul” the STEM Collaboration of the Year Award.
