Bridget Chapital is the founder and owner of Hypothesis Haven Science Club. Bridget is a health education professional with 18+ years experience in the biomedical research industry, including roles with UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine.
Hypothesis Haven Science Club is not your average STEM program. They are the first and only medical science program for children ages 5-13 that provides early exposure to life science careers and teaches the steps that scientists take to discover, treat, and cure illnesses.
Chapital described Hypothesis Haven Science Club as the culmination of her dream to share her knowledge and experience in the clinical research industry with the next generation of young scientists. Her passion is increasing access to emerging medical treatments by bridging information gaps between medical providers and patients.
In February, to coincide with American Heart Month, Chapital and her team hosted their first pop-up event to introduce Hypothesis Haven to their Texas community. In 2021, the 2nd Annual HeART of Science event is being held virtually for students anywhere.
“The difference at Hypothesis Haven is that we’re not just teaching children how the heart works, but additionally – how did scientists discover how the heart works and how did their understanding change over time?” Said Chapital. “We want to show children it starts with a bright idea, but and then it takes hard work and perservance to figure it out.”
However, the launch of her new after school and camp business did not go as expected. Within a month, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools and businesses.
Chapital quickly decided to pivot and adapt their curriculum to offer online workshops and camps.
“At first we were just doing workshops with materials that kids would have around the house. But, a lot of our lessons didn’t translate well to online because they were based on medical equipment the instructor would normally bring to the classroom,” said Chapital. “So we created brand new lessons and we able to really expand the curriculum.”
Before the pandemic, Chapital had never really thought of virtual classes, but now believe the virtual workshops will become a permanent service in their business.
“We had kids from Brazil recently in a class on ActivityHero LIVE. We now have a worldwide reach and it’s really cool. We want to keep that piece even as things start getting back to in-person,” said Chapital.
You can learn more about Hypothesis Haven on ActivityHero or find them on Facebook and Instagram.
Free HeART of Science Workshop
At Hypothesis Haven Science Club’s Annual HeART of Science event, kids will learn about the hardest-working muscle in the body (the heart) and how to keep it healthy and strong!
They will also learn about new treatments and discoveries that doctors and scientists are working on to help people with heart disease.