In a high school classroom, a test tube sits undisturbed on a lab bench. By the end of the week, it tells a story most students are used to seeing only in textbooks.

The bacteria inside have changed.

That shift, visible in cloudy films and altered colony shapes, is not theoretical. It is evolution happening in real time. And for students participating in EvolvingSTEM, it is something they produce themselves.

Based out of Bridgeside Point II in Hot Metal Campus, EvolvingSTEM is a science outreach program that brings evolution and microbiology research directly into classrooms across the Pittsburgh region. Run through Professor Vaughn Cooper’s lab in the Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, the program equips students from grades 6 through 12 with the tools and framework to conduct real experiments on bacterial evolution.

"The best way for students to learn evolution is by seeing it in real time," said program director Abigail Matela during a recent interview.

Turning Classrooms into Labs

EvolvingSTEM centers on a simple but powerful idea. Instead of teaching evolution through historical examples like Darwin's finches, students work with living systems that evolve over a single week.

Using harmless bacteria, students grow populations under conditions that select for certain types of mutations. As the experiment progresses, they observe changes that mirror the same evolutionary processes researchers study in professional labs. They run experiments, transfer cultures, measure outcomes, and interpret results.

"We think of it as an authentic research experience because the students are doing science in the same way that we do it here in the lab," Matela said.

That emphasis on authenticity is intentional. The program was originally developed in a university research setting and later adapted for classrooms. Today, it maintains that same experimental backbone while making it portable enough to operate in schools with limited lab infrastructure. If a classroom lacks equipment, the team brings it.

"We basically set up our own labs in the classrooms if they have nothing," Matela said.

Evolution You Can See

At the center of the curriculum is a bacterial evolution experiment using Pseudomonas fluorescens. Over several days, students select for bacteria that thrive in biofilms, structured communities that form on surfaces. Biofilms thicken along the walls of test tubes. Colonies diversify into new shapes and textures. Populations are split into distinct forms.

Students begin to recognize patterns that define evolution: variation, selection, and adaptation.

That immediacy changes how the subject lands. The changes are physical — things students can point to, measure, and compare — not abstractions in a textbook.

Connecting to Real-World Science

The experiments are grounded in the same biological processes that shape real-world health challenges. Biofilms are central to how many bacteria survive in clinical settings, helping microbes resist antibiotics, persist on medical devices, and adapt to environmental pressures.

"They're communities of bacteria that cover themselves in a slimy, self-produced matrix," Matela said. "And they're very hard to remove."

By working through these systems, students begin to understand how evolution connects to issues like antibiotic resistance, infection, and public health. The program also introduces additional modules, including experiments on microbial predation, and in some cases, student findings contribute to ongoing research questions in microbial evolution.

Meeting Students Where They Are

EvolvingSTEM operates primarily within Pittsburgh Public Schools, targeting introductory biology courses where students first encounter evolutionary concepts. Rather than pulling students into external programs, the model integrates directly into existing classrooms.

"We meet kids where they are," Matela said.

That approach expands access, ensuring students who might not seek out science opportunities still engage with research-grade experiments. Teachers play a central role as well. Through summer training programs, EvolvingSTEM prepares educators to run the experiments independently and integrate them into future coursework. The goal is long-term adoption, not one-time exposure.

Measuring Impact

EvolvingSTEM includes an education research component that tracks outcomes through pre- and post-assessments. Students show stronger comprehension of evolutionary concepts, develop technical skills earlier, and report more positive attitudes toward science. Teachers report sustained student engagement who might not otherwise connect with biology.

At scale, the program now reaches thousands of students annually through partnerships with dozens of schools and institutions.

A Program Built for Growth

EvolvingSTEM continues to expand through research funding, institutional partnerships, and teacher training initiatives. Curriculum kits, workshops, and digital resources allow schools beyond Pittsburgh to adopt the program.

At its core, the mission is straightforward: give students direct access to scientific practice, build confidence through hands-on experimentation, and demonstrate that science isn't just something to learn, but something to do.

EvolvingSTEM Brings Lab Experiments Straight Into the Classroom