4 answers
shania
Student
Manchester, Connecticut
6
Questions
Asked
1125 views
Where to start my passion project and how can it reach a greater audiance ?
I have been wanting to start a biomedical engineering or medical related passion project especially since I started a BME club at my highschool this year and wanted to take it farther in making a impact. Something I want to do is fill the gap in healthcare knowledge among students and young communities since I did not have that much exposure. I truly will appreciate any advice, and tiny steps where I can take this.
4 answers
Saurabh Kapoor
5
Answers
Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Updated
Saurabh’s Answer
First off — huge kudos for starting a BME club in high school and wanting to push it further. The fact that you've identified a real gap (healthcare knowledge access for students and young communities) and you're motivated by your own experience is exactly the right starting point. Passion projects that solve a problem *you've personally felt* tend to go the furthest.
Here are some tiny, concrete steps you can take, roughly in order:
**1. Narrow your "why" into a single sentence.**
Before you build anything, try to finish this sentence: *"I want to help [specific group] understand [specific topic] so they can [specific outcome]."* For example: *"I want to help middle schoolers understand how the human body's major systems work so they feel more confident asking doctors questions."* The narrower you go, the easier everything else becomes. You can always expand later.
**2. Talk to 5–10 people in your target audience first.**
Before creating content, ask younger students (or their parents/teachers) what they actually wish they knew about health, medicine, or the human body. You'll be surprised — what you assume is "the gap" is often different from what they say. This is basically free user research, and it'll save you months of building the wrong thing.
**3. Pick ONE format to start. Just one.**
Don't try to do a podcast + Instagram + YouTube + blog + workshops all at once. Pick the one that matches your strengths and your audience:
- **Instagram / TikTok carousels** — great for bite-sized "did you know" health facts, anatomy explainers, or myth-busting.
- **Short YouTube videos** — better if you want to do deeper explainers (e.g., "How does a pacemaker actually work?").
- **A simple website or Substack newsletter** — good for longer reads and easy to share with teachers.
- **In-person workshops** at local middle schools, libraries, or community centers — highest impact per person, lowest reach, but builds amazing skills and stories.
**4. Use your BME club as the launch team.**
You already have a built-in team! Divide responsibilities — one person researches, one designs graphics, one writes scripts, one handles posting. It turns a solo passion project into a shared club initiative, which also looks great for everyone involved.
**5. Partner with people who already have the audience.**
Reach out to:
- **Local middle school science teachers** — ask if you can do a 20-minute guest talk or provide handouts.
- **Pediatricians or BME professors at nearby universities** — many will gladly do a 15-min interview or fact-check your content. Cold emails work surprisingly well when you're a motivated high schooler.
- **Local hospitals' community outreach departments** — they often have programs and budgets for exactly this kind of thing.
- **Other high school BME/STEM clubs** — collaborate on content swaps.
**6. Make accuracy your non-negotiable.**
Since you're in the health space, always cite reputable sources (CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, peer-reviewed journals) and have an adult mentor (a teacher, doctor, or professor) review medical content before publishing. This protects your audience *and* your credibility.
**7. Set tiny, measurable goals.**
Instead of "reach a greater audience," try: *"Publish 2 posts a week for 3 months"* or *"Run one workshop at a local middle school by end of semester."* Consistency beats virality every single time. Most projects that "blow up" had 6–12 months of quiet, steady work behind them.
**8. Document everything.**
Keep a simple log of what you've done — posts published, workshops run, people reached, feedback received. This becomes incredibly valuable for college apps, scholarship essays, and applying for grants (yes, grants exist for student-led health education — look into the **Davidson Fellows**, **Diamond Challenge**, and local community foundation youth grants).
**A few ideas specifically for your space:**
- A "Health Literacy 101" series for teens — covering things like how to read a nutrition label, what questions to ask at a doctor's visit, what common lab tests mean.
- A "Meet a BME" interview series — short interviews with biomedical engineers, nurses, doctors about what they actually do day-to-day.
- A "How does this device work?" series — pacemakers, prosthetics, MRI machines, insulin pumps. BME is so visual, it's perfect for short video content.
- Free downloadable worksheets/lesson plans teachers can use in classrooms.
**Final thought:** Reach grows slowly, then suddenly. Don't measure success by followers in month one — measure it by *did one person learn something they didn't know before?* If yes, you're already making the impact you set out to make. Everything else compounds from there.
You've got this. 🧬
Here are some tiny, concrete steps you can take, roughly in order:
**1. Narrow your "why" into a single sentence.**
Before you build anything, try to finish this sentence: *"I want to help [specific group] understand [specific topic] so they can [specific outcome]."* For example: *"I want to help middle schoolers understand how the human body's major systems work so they feel more confident asking doctors questions."* The narrower you go, the easier everything else becomes. You can always expand later.
**2. Talk to 5–10 people in your target audience first.**
Before creating content, ask younger students (or their parents/teachers) what they actually wish they knew about health, medicine, or the human body. You'll be surprised — what you assume is "the gap" is often different from what they say. This is basically free user research, and it'll save you months of building the wrong thing.
**3. Pick ONE format to start. Just one.**
Don't try to do a podcast + Instagram + YouTube + blog + workshops all at once. Pick the one that matches your strengths and your audience:
- **Instagram / TikTok carousels** — great for bite-sized "did you know" health facts, anatomy explainers, or myth-busting.
- **Short YouTube videos** — better if you want to do deeper explainers (e.g., "How does a pacemaker actually work?").
- **A simple website or Substack newsletter** — good for longer reads and easy to share with teachers.
- **In-person workshops** at local middle schools, libraries, or community centers — highest impact per person, lowest reach, but builds amazing skills and stories.
**4. Use your BME club as the launch team.**
You already have a built-in team! Divide responsibilities — one person researches, one designs graphics, one writes scripts, one handles posting. It turns a solo passion project into a shared club initiative, which also looks great for everyone involved.
**5. Partner with people who already have the audience.**
Reach out to:
- **Local middle school science teachers** — ask if you can do a 20-minute guest talk or provide handouts.
- **Pediatricians or BME professors at nearby universities** — many will gladly do a 15-min interview or fact-check your content. Cold emails work surprisingly well when you're a motivated high schooler.
- **Local hospitals' community outreach departments** — they often have programs and budgets for exactly this kind of thing.
- **Other high school BME/STEM clubs** — collaborate on content swaps.
**6. Make accuracy your non-negotiable.**
Since you're in the health space, always cite reputable sources (CDC, NIH, Mayo Clinic, peer-reviewed journals) and have an adult mentor (a teacher, doctor, or professor) review medical content before publishing. This protects your audience *and* your credibility.
**7. Set tiny, measurable goals.**
Instead of "reach a greater audience," try: *"Publish 2 posts a week for 3 months"* or *"Run one workshop at a local middle school by end of semester."* Consistency beats virality every single time. Most projects that "blow up" had 6–12 months of quiet, steady work behind them.
**8. Document everything.**
Keep a simple log of what you've done — posts published, workshops run, people reached, feedback received. This becomes incredibly valuable for college apps, scholarship essays, and applying for grants (yes, grants exist for student-led health education — look into the **Davidson Fellows**, **Diamond Challenge**, and local community foundation youth grants).
**A few ideas specifically for your space:**
- A "Health Literacy 101" series for teens — covering things like how to read a nutrition label, what questions to ask at a doctor's visit, what common lab tests mean.
- A "Meet a BME" interview series — short interviews with biomedical engineers, nurses, doctors about what they actually do day-to-day.
- A "How does this device work?" series — pacemakers, prosthetics, MRI machines, insulin pumps. BME is so visual, it's perfect for short video content.
- Free downloadable worksheets/lesson plans teachers can use in classrooms.
**Final thought:** Reach grows slowly, then suddenly. Don't measure success by followers in month one — measure it by *did one person learn something they didn't know before?* If yes, you're already making the impact you set out to make. Everything else compounds from there.
You've got this. 🧬
Thank you so much for your perspective, this truly will help as I start to map it out. Thank you!!!
shania
Anuj Gupta
Software Engineering
443
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Anuj’s Answer
Your path will become clearer when you start taking action rather than waiting for certainty. Try a short internship, contribute to an open project, or shadow someone in a field you are considering. Practical experience is the fastest way to find the right direction.
I will use this advice as I prepare for my career.
shania
Suraayah Hunter
Independent Consultant
18
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Suraayah’s Answer
Shania, the passion you’re describing is powerful because it comes from a real place—you didn’t grow up with much exposure to healthcare, and instead of letting that limit you, you’re trying to build something that gives other students what you wish you had. That instinct is rare. Biomedical Engineering (BME) is not just circuits, devices, and lab coats; it’s a field built on solving human problems with creativity, science, and empathy. When you talk about filling the gap in healthcare knowledge for young communities, you’re naming a need that most adults overlook. Students grow up surrounded by healthcare but rarely learn how it works, why it matters, or how it connects to their everyday lives. That gap is your opportunity. You don’t need a huge team or a big budget to start—you need a clear purpose and the courage to build something that grows with you.
Because you’ve already started a Biomedical Engineering (BME) club, you have a natural launchpad. Think of your club as your first “learning lab”—not just for engineering ideas, but for understanding how young people learn, what they’re curious about, and what makes healthcare feel less intimidating. You can turn it into a space where students explore medical devices, anatomy, diagnostics, public health, or even simple things like how to read vital signs or understand common medical terms. But you can also go beyond the usual. You can create hands‑on challenges using everyday objects, build simple prototypes out of recycled materials, or design “medical escape room” puzzles where students solve health problems to unlock clues. You can host myth‑busting sessions about medical misconceptions, run storytelling workshops where students explain a medical concept in their own words, or create a hallway “health museum” with interactive stations. These kinds of experiences make healthcare feel human, fun, and accessible—and they make your project unforgettable.
As your project grows, think about how it can reach beyond your school. You can partner with local libraries, youth centers, community groups, or middle schools that would love a student‑led program. You can collaborate with nurses, professors, or biomedical engineers who can help you refine your ideas and give you access to real equipment or labs. You can create a simple website or social media page where you share short, clear explanations of medical concepts, engineering ideas, or health topics that young people rarely get exposure to. You can even build a “traveling health lab”—a backpack filled with simple tools, models, and activities you bring to classrooms or community events. Every time you share something, you’re building a community around your project, and communities grow when they feel invited in.
There are also unconventional ways to expand your reach. You can interview healthcare workers and engineers on video and turn their stories into short episodes. You can create a digital “health comic series” that explains medical concepts through characters and adventures. You can design simple medical device prototypes and let younger students vote on their favorite ideas. You can run a “design sprint” where teams solve a real health challenge in one hour. You can even create a “health passport” that students fill with stamps each time they learn a new concept. These ideas make learning feel alive—and they make your project stand out.
The most important thing to remember is that passion projects don’t start big; they become big because someone like you keeps showing up with curiosity, creativity, and heart. You already have the spark, the leadership, and the desire to make healthcare knowledge accessible. If you keep building step by step—starting with your club, expanding into your school, and then reaching into your community—you’ll be surprised by how quickly your project grows. And as it grows, you’ll discover that you’re not just teaching people about healthcare; you’re shaping the kind of engineer, leader, and human being you’re becoming.
- Dr. Hunter
1. Turn your Biomedical Engineering (BME) club into your first “learning lab.” Use it to test hands‑on activities, myth‑busting sessions, simple prototypes, medical escape‑room puzzles, or hallway pop‑up exhibits so you learn what students respond to and what makes healthcare feel accessible.
2. Build one signature experience that becomes your project’s identity. This could be a traveling health lab in a backpack, a health comic series, a design‑sprint challenge, or a medical‑mystery game. Choose one idea that feels fun, unconventional, and uniquely yours.
3. Expand into your community through partnerships that amplify your reach. Connect with libraries, youth centers, middle schools, nurses, professors, or biomedical engineers who can offer space, equipment, mentorship, or audiences beyond your high school.
4. Create a simple digital home for your project so your impact travels. Build a small website or social page where you share short, clear explanations of medical concepts, engineering ideas, interviews with healthcare workers, or videos of your hands‑on activities.
5. Grow your project through storytelling, consistency, and student involvement. Invite younger students to vote on prototype ideas, collect “health passport” stamps, or submit questions for you to answer. The more people feel part of your project, the faster your audience expands.
Because you’ve already started a Biomedical Engineering (BME) club, you have a natural launchpad. Think of your club as your first “learning lab”—not just for engineering ideas, but for understanding how young people learn, what they’re curious about, and what makes healthcare feel less intimidating. You can turn it into a space where students explore medical devices, anatomy, diagnostics, public health, or even simple things like how to read vital signs or understand common medical terms. But you can also go beyond the usual. You can create hands‑on challenges using everyday objects, build simple prototypes out of recycled materials, or design “medical escape room” puzzles where students solve health problems to unlock clues. You can host myth‑busting sessions about medical misconceptions, run storytelling workshops where students explain a medical concept in their own words, or create a hallway “health museum” with interactive stations. These kinds of experiences make healthcare feel human, fun, and accessible—and they make your project unforgettable.
As your project grows, think about how it can reach beyond your school. You can partner with local libraries, youth centers, community groups, or middle schools that would love a student‑led program. You can collaborate with nurses, professors, or biomedical engineers who can help you refine your ideas and give you access to real equipment or labs. You can create a simple website or social media page where you share short, clear explanations of medical concepts, engineering ideas, or health topics that young people rarely get exposure to. You can even build a “traveling health lab”—a backpack filled with simple tools, models, and activities you bring to classrooms or community events. Every time you share something, you’re building a community around your project, and communities grow when they feel invited in.
There are also unconventional ways to expand your reach. You can interview healthcare workers and engineers on video and turn their stories into short episodes. You can create a digital “health comic series” that explains medical concepts through characters and adventures. You can design simple medical device prototypes and let younger students vote on their favorite ideas. You can run a “design sprint” where teams solve a real health challenge in one hour. You can even create a “health passport” that students fill with stamps each time they learn a new concept. These ideas make learning feel alive—and they make your project stand out.
The most important thing to remember is that passion projects don’t start big; they become big because someone like you keeps showing up with curiosity, creativity, and heart. You already have the spark, the leadership, and the desire to make healthcare knowledge accessible. If you keep building step by step—starting with your club, expanding into your school, and then reaching into your community—you’ll be surprised by how quickly your project grows. And as it grows, you’ll discover that you’re not just teaching people about healthcare; you’re shaping the kind of engineer, leader, and human being you’re becoming.
- Dr. Hunter
Suraayah recommends the following next steps:
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
238
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Shania,
I do appreciate your passion for biomedical engineering in particular and healthcare generally.
I'll try to share my experiences in running projects, generally.
Initiation phase is the starting point of a project cycle - project intent & deliverables are defined at this stage. You have already competently dealt with this.
The next phase is Planning. This phase helps you not only to define the processes that are required to bring your vision to fruition but also establish the resources that will be required for implementation. Risk assessment is an integral part of the planning process. Resource mobilization plan is equally important for success. Communication plan is central to the management of the project.
The next two phases fall under Execution: Build phase and Operationalization.
During the build phase, you will need to establish structures for running the project, acquire facilities for the project, establish standards and progress the project to the Operationalization phase.
During Operationalization, roles get filled, training in conducted as deemed necessary, resources are procured and operations are set into motion (commissioning). Once routines are in, the project moves in to beneficial "occupation". The project is then progressively ramped up to full speed.
At this point, the project cycle is Closed-out so normal operation takes place & shape. A Post Project Review is conducted to establish what went well and what needs to be improved. This feedback is incorporated into the project management methodology so the next project is better managed.
I hope the outline gives sufficient structure for your project.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
I do appreciate your passion for biomedical engineering in particular and healthcare generally.
I'll try to share my experiences in running projects, generally.
Initiation phase is the starting point of a project cycle - project intent & deliverables are defined at this stage. You have already competently dealt with this.
The next phase is Planning. This phase helps you not only to define the processes that are required to bring your vision to fruition but also establish the resources that will be required for implementation. Risk assessment is an integral part of the planning process. Resource mobilization plan is equally important for success. Communication plan is central to the management of the project.
The next two phases fall under Execution: Build phase and Operationalization.
During the build phase, you will need to establish structures for running the project, acquire facilities for the project, establish standards and progress the project to the Operationalization phase.
During Operationalization, roles get filled, training in conducted as deemed necessary, resources are procured and operations are set into motion (commissioning). Once routines are in, the project moves in to beneficial "occupation". The project is then progressively ramped up to full speed.
At this point, the project cycle is Closed-out so normal operation takes place & shape. A Post Project Review is conducted to establish what went well and what needs to be improved. This feedback is incorporated into the project management methodology so the next project is better managed.
I hope the outline gives sufficient structure for your project.
Best of luck in your endeavors.
Thank you so much for your insight, this was truly accomadating!
shania
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