Delicate, fully articulated bones sit mounted on a wooden base encased in a clear acrylic cover.

This science class bone-model, a naturally-posed skeleton of the Columba livia pipio (domestic pigeon), begins to unlock mysteries of the animal’s biology.

Real-skeleton biology models are teaching aids. They reveal, among other things, how an animal moved, where it lived, if it got into fights, the shape of its teeth (if any) and what it ate – or if a disease got the better of it.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, in addition to grants to 48 Vashon Island School District teachers, Vashon Partners in Education (known by its acronym, PIE) funded the provision of this real skeleton science lab-model for VISD’s StudentLink (SLink) program.

SLink provides students in grades 9-12 the opportunity to work independently to complete high school course requirements. Hands-on science labs are part of SLink’s curriculum. Active participation deepens students’ understanding — it strengthens factual retention more than reading, repetition and memorization alone.

SLink teacher Sarah George thinks a lot about how to engage students and how to ground science courses in practical applications.

“Doing science sparks curiosity and joy as students see and feel their experiments and hypotheses come to life,” she said.

For the recent assignment “Comparative Vertebrates,” students studied the skeletons of a pigeon, fish, turtle, bat, snake and toad. Then, they recorded and discussed their findings.

They also got to study some much bigger bones — those of a gray whale, nicknamed “Singer,” that washed ashore on Vashon last spring north of KVI Beach.

Under the supervision of the Vashon Nature Center, SLink students helped move the mostly intact set of bones from one preparation station to a second staging facility. The whale-articulation project is ongoing, and VISD students continue to help reconstruct the colossal skeleton, which the Nature Center hopes to eventually showcase at Vashon Center for the Arts.

Another assignment, using a kit called “Flower Mystery,” focuses on botany — allowing students to research plants. It includes a murder mystery in which students use their botanical knowledge and forensic science to solve a fictitious crime. In the “Flowers for Freddy Forensics” unit, students must determine if a fruit-growing orchardist, a garden-vegetable supplier or a flower-bed florist did Freddy in.

In the future, George said, students will also be able to spend time identifying the pollinators of Vashon’s fields and woodlands.

Last year, PIE funded the materials for the design and construction of underwater cameras by SLink students.

These real-world science programs foster community involvement and work with experts.

Volunteer Joe Aga, currently the chief pilot and senior technician for Mercer Island land surveyor Ryka Land Services’ drone department, helped with the complex stages of 3D printing and camera assemblage. Students then plunged their cameras into Quartermaster Harbor at Dockton Park, where, using a live feed, they observed, identified and recorded marine life.

Aga also demonstrated drone technology for the students and discussed his work as a 100-ton boat captain for a salmon research program in the Columbia River estuary, highlighting opportunities for scientific work beyond the classroom.

Each year, through its fundraising efforts, PIE seeks to fund experiential and creative learning opportunities for Vashon’s students and educators, and supports programs offered by The Vashon Nature Center and Vashon Artists in Schools.

Through community support, PIE puts money directly into the hands of those closest to the children and young adults they teach. Grants both large and small fund creative projects beyond what the schools can afford.

Active for over 37 years, PIE is an all-volunteer, grassroots organization. Except for administrative costs, all monies raised go directly to classrooms for projects created by teachers.

For the current school year, PIE funded 49 grant requests totaling just under $69,000. These grants ranged in size from just $150 to over $13,000.

PIE is still fundraising to support this year’s grants. Donations can be made online through PIE’s website, vashonpie.org, or by mail to Vashon Partners in Education, P.O. Box 1645, Vashon, WA 98070. PIE will also be participating in the Give Big Campaign in early May.

Marie Koltchak is the secretary of the Partners in Education board.

Josefina Romero, StudentLink high school sophomore, identifies turtle bones to compare how their shape and size influence the animal’s locomotion. (Photo courtesy StudentLink)