by Paola Moreno-Roman
Arriving to Texas (Jan 22nd 2026)
I arrived in Houston on January 21st to kick off the Texas leg of the Fast & Curious Tour. The following day, I went to pick up the Foldscope units that would be used throughout the Texas workshops.
This part of the trip would not have been possible without Will McCarthy from our partner organization, Health In Your Hands, so a big thank you to Will. Ahead of my arrival, we shipped Foldscope units directly from our manufacturing partners in China to his home in Houston. On January 22nd, I stopped by to collect them before the week of workshops began.
The rest of the day was spent organizing materials, reviewing the schedule, and double-checking logistics. So excited to see months of coordination come to fruition in the next few days.
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Houston ISD (Jan 23rd 2026)
On January 23rd, I led a Fast & Curious workshop with Houston Independent School District, hosted at the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center. We had 18 educators in attendance, coming from schools and programs across the city, including Fleming Middle School, Highland Heights Elementary School, Berry Elementary School, Northline Elementary School, Clifton Middle School, and several district-wide enrichment and after-school programs.
Several participants were instructors or consultants in the district’s Dyad program, which offers specialty classes during the school day to give students access to hands-on, enrichment experiences. Others worked in gardening, digital arts, robotics, chess, media literacy, and elementary science across multiple grade levels. The range of backgrounds made for a very engaged and practical conversation throughout the session.
I arrived on time but took a wrong turn inside the complex and ended up a bit lost. Thankfully, Patrice Allen stepped in right away and helped me get oriented. It was a small moment, but it set the tone for the day: supportive, collaborative, and focused on making things work.
The session itself was highly hands-on. Educators assembled Foldscopes and began exploring familiar, everyday samples. We looked at hair strands and fabric threads and talked through what students notice first when working at this scale. One participant examined water they had collected nearby, and another pulled out a sunflower seed they had brought as a snack, turning it into an impromptu observation. These simple samples led to good discussions about curiosity, accessibility, and how Foldscope fits naturally into classroom routines.
At the end of the workshop, educators requested Foldscopes for classroom and program use. Patrice also took additional units beyond the initial request to share with the superintendent, helping extend the reach of the program even further.
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Houston's Health Museum (Jan 23rd 2026)
That same afternoon, after grabbing a quick bite at Barnaby’s, a restaurant near the museum recommended by Sri, I headed to The Health Museum in Houston for a second Fast & Curious workshop. This session was organized by Phillip Koether and Sri Chalasani, and funny enough, we had 18 participants again. The group reflected the kind of mix that makes museum-based learning so powerful.
Participants came from a wide range of settings, including The Health Museum itself, Baylor College of Medicine, Community Family Centers, Coding with a Twist, Health In Your Hands Diagnostics, the University of Houston Clear Lake Art School, Galveston Independent School District, Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Ortiz Middle School, and several Houston-area after-school and community programs. There were classroom teachers, museum educators, curriculum directors, nonprofit leaders, and informal educators all in the same room.
The energy felt different from a school-based workshop, in a good way. People were immediately thinking across disciplines. Art educators talked about drawing from microscopic observations. Health educators focused on accessibility and hands-on engagement. Others were thinking about how Foldscope could fit into after-school programs, medical terminology courses, or museum programming for families.
One of the most memorable moments was looking at a blood sample provided by Sri from the museum lab under the Foldscope. That single activity opened up a deeper conversation about sample preparation and how much technique matters. Seeing how red blood cells come into focus only when the sample is handled carefully led to thoughtful questions about accuracy, interpretation, and what it really means to observe responsibly.
Many participants were surprised by how intuitive the Foldscope felt once they started using it, especially when paired with a phone or tablet. The room quickly shifted from “How does this work?” to “How could I use this with my students or visitors?” This workshop reminded me why informal learning spaces matter so much. Foldscope fits naturally in museums and community programs, not as a replacement for traditional tools, but as something that lowers barriers and invites curiosity. It was one of those sessions where you could feel ideas forming in real time, and where the questions stayed with me long after the room emptied.
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Driving from Houston to Dallas (Jan 25th 2026)
On January 25th, I began the drive from Houston to Dallas. A winter storm was moving across the United States, and I did briefly consider changing plans. But when I woke up that morning, Houston looked mostly fine. The roads were wet, with some ice here and there, but overall things seemed manageable.
So I decided to stick with the original plan. I went to Mass in the morning, grabbed some food to go for the road, and started driving shortly after noon. I thought that by then the roads would be cleaner and that the slightly warmer temperatures would have helped melt any remaining ice.
What should have been a four-hour drive turned into a seven-hour journey.
About an hour in, I did consider taking an exit and reassessing. But the exits were completely covered in ice and snow, and it was obvious no one had driven through them in a while. The thought of sliding while trying to exit was enough to make that decision for me, so I stayed on the highway and kept driving.
As conditions worsened, traffic slowed and cars naturally formed long, careful lines. I found myself driving almost the entire way with the same car in front of me and the same car behind me. In my head, the cars in front of and behind me became my road companions.
I was also deeply grateful for the SUVs and trucks, especially Tacomas, that would occasionally move a bit faster and take the lead. I am convinced they played a real role in breaking the ice and clearing the road just enough for the rest of us to follow more safely.
It was exhausting, but also grounding. Outreach work does not always happen in ideal conditions. Sometimes it happens slowly, cautiously, and with a lot of patience. And sometimes it looks like staying in line, trusting your road companion, and driving seven hours when you thought it would only take four.
