On November 7^th, 2018 the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center and the Center for Applied Plant Sciences hosted 20 sixth grade students from the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy for the annual Breakfast of Science Champions (BOSC) program. This campus-wide event provides students from Columbus City Schools with the opportunity to visit The Ohio State University, engage in hands-on STEM activities, learn about career opportunities, and meet faculty, graduate students and staff.

Students visiting ABRC and CAPS started their morning off with breakfast and a chat with Dr. Jessica Cooperstone and TPS Fellow Parker Evans. Jessica and Parker shared a little about their research, highlighted what got them interested in science, and answered a unique array of questions from the students. Next, the group toured the ABRC laboratories and growth facilities, getting an up-close look at our seed lab, robot, cold storage, growth chambers and greenhouse.

We finished off the morning with a hands-on exploration of the symbiotic relationship between soybean plants and the beneficial bacteria Rhizobium. Students formed hypotheses, made observations, and collected data on soybean plants grown in different conditions. As always, ABRC and CAPS enjoyed hosting students for this exciting program. We thank the students, teachers and chaperones from the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy for their participation, and look forward to serving as a host site in future years.