Chambana Sun

In Urbana, Illinois, a new initiative is set to integrate popcorn into science education for students in Illinois and beyond. A grant from the USDA is funding a project at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aimed at creating a curriculum centered around popcorn. This educational program will cover various scientific fields including agricultural science, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, computer science, genomics, and research methods. It targets both 4-H and high school students.

Tony Studer, an associate professor in the Department of Crop Sciences within the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois, has been advocating for this approach for nearly ten years. He explained the concept behind using popcorn as an educational tool: “Everybody knows popcorn, but students don’t typically think about where it comes from or how science is used to improve the food we eat.” Studer added that incorporating popcorn into lessons helps maintain student interest because it involves a familiar subject.