Northwestern University Science Club: The Science of Junk Food

Led by Dr. Michael Kennedy, Director of Northwestern's Science in Society initiative, the Science Club is an after school science mentorship program for middle school children from all backgrounds, providing an opportunity to learn about science during fall, winter and spring sessions through fun, hands-on activities. Located in a science lab built specifically for Science Club on the north side of Chicago, meeting weekly, students are separated into small groups guided by Northwestern graduate students and staff who serve as mentors to work on the curriculum.

"It's a great program, and is paying off in terms of our kids choosing health-focused career tracks in high school and even coming back to co-mentor the younger kids", says Dr. Kennedy.

The students help decide the content each session will focus on and the Science Club's spring session focuses on the science of junk food and how to design healthier versions of these recipes. NeigerDesign cooked up some very creative curriculum covers for each Food Science workbook.

Burgers, soda, ice cream, Cheetos and pancakes; our cover designs feature infographics demonstrating the breakdown the science of everyone's favorite junk food, leaving us with a skeptical eye for ingredients and missing our Cheetos.

Science Club is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional support provided by Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine and Office for Research.