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OSEP Equipment Donations

Request for used equipment from the Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP):

Northwestern is engaging in President Schapiro's Good Neighbor initiative to support Evanston Township High School and Chicago Public Schools. As part of this initiative, NU's Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP) has been listening to the needs and challenges of science teachers in the area. Of note is the need for lab equipment and supplies to support active student opportunities in science, math, and technology in the classroom.

NU has used equipment that can help. As often happens at the university, lab equipment is still usable, but is replaced by newer technology or upgrades in standards. However teachers can use the older equipment to provide meaningful lab experiences for their students. Consider donating surplus equipment to local science classrooms as part of being a good neighbor.

Examples of donations might include used micropipettes, probe-ware, a microcentrifuge, or scales. One specific example is that the Woodruff Lab donated an outdated thermocycler to OSEP to use with area high schools. This piece of equipment is essential for students to do PCR labs, but is cost prohibitive to most public schools. Other donations so far include a centrifuge and liquid nitrogen dewars.

If you have equipment that you think might be useful to local science teachers, please contact OSEP through emily.ferrin@northwestern.edu. They will then reach out to their teachers to find a need for the materials.

Please Note: Prior to donation, you should list your items on the Surplus Property Exchange for a minimum of 30 days so that the NU community has an opportunity for use/purchase.