Students at two San Antonio ISD high schools have a little more opportunity in biological sciences and forensics after a recent microscope donation from Motic Swift Line.
The vendor had 50 surplus units and reached out to the district science department to see if high schools might be interested. After a quick lottery, Burbank and Edison high schools each won a class set of 25.
“The microscope donation from Motic has given Edison students an opportunity to look at science through their own eyes,” Edison science dean Dana Kincaid said. “It is one thing to look at pictures, it is another to see it for yourself. This involvement will help students develop a deeper understanding of the material and give meaning to the complex subjects they are learning."
Motic shipping manager Jose Perez is an Edison alumnus and volunteered to use his own personal vehicle to help with transportation of the units.
“Family members of our employees go to SAISD and it’s a good way to give back,” D Class sales manager Jeremy LeBlanc said. “We found a niche where we can donate back to schools and be beneficial to schools in our backyard.”
On delivery days last month, the Motic Swift Line team, including LeBlanc, Perez, and local customer success specialist Crystal Ortiz, went to the two schools to unbox and set up the microscopes so they were ready to go.
“The donation of the 25 microscopes by Motic greatly enhances the science curriculum at Burbank,” Burbank science dean Monica Ogg said. “It allows our students in forensics to visualize hair samples, in anatomy and physiology to see the actual organization of cells within the small intestine, and in biology it allows them to understand the basic cellular arrangement of all living things. They were used within two days of receiving them.”
The donated units, SW350B and SW350T models, retail for $299 and $349, respectively.
“Our biology teachers had decided at the beginning of this school year to use part of our allotted budget for science supplies to purchase one microscope each year until we replaced them all,” Edison science department chair Kathryn King said. “This would have taken many years to complete this on our own. With the donation from Motic, we have a complete replacement of all the microscopes which frees us up to use our budget for other necessary science instructional materials.”