In response to low graduation rates among American students in science, technology, engineering and mathe- matics (STEM) disciplines, The National Academy of Science (NAS) recently published suggestions for modifying STEM education in grades K-12.1 The recommendations stressed a three-dimensional model for a successful educational program i) describe scientific and engineering practices; (ii) explore crosscutting concepts that have applicability across multiple scientific disciplines and (iii) describe core ideas. These recommendations represent a dramatic paradigm shift in pedagogy away from representing science as an insurmountable collection of facts, to representing i as a creative and malleable discipline whose primary objective is to uncover the goings o of the natural world. In line with the educational framework set forth by the NAS are educational outreach programs whose aim is to demonstrate scientific principles and thinking in the context of topics that are relevant and interesting to students. Engaging students in topics that they find interesting is particularly important, because research has shown that personal interests, experiences and enthusiasm are a primary factor linked to later educational and career choices. 2-5 with these factors in mind, we set out to develop an outreach program designed to engage high-school- aged students in a project that best mimicked a genuine research environment. We intended to create a project that could be carried out in the summer months by colleges and universities that equipped with standard instrumentation are used in modern research environments In order to maximally engage the students, a socially significant and multidisciplinary topic was needed as the subject matter for the project. An ideal candidate that met these criteria is the synthesis of biodegradable polymers from waste. In the past few decades, petroleum-based plastics have fallen out of favor because they are not environmentally sustainable. Consequently, there is an increasing demand for environ- mentally friendly alternatives to conventional plastics. Poly- (lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer that is suited to many of the applications in which petroleum-based polymers employed, such as grocery bags and food storage typically are containers Currently, PLA is produced on an industrial scale from renewable starch sources, chiefly 89 theory, similar com syntheses of PLA can be conducted on a smaller scale using any source of starch that is in and ab available. Used office paper not only is widely available at any college, university, or high school but also is an abundant and convenient of starch. Through a series of biochemical source and chemical transformations, we hypothesized that the cellulose derived from used ofice paper could be converted into PLA in the laboratory. Such research project would be a ideally suited to encourage high school students to participate in STEM disciplines as it addresses all three dimensions of the educational framework set forth by the NAS: (1) the students learn practices and procedures common to any scientific discipline, (2) the project uses a multidisciplinary approach to answer scientific inquiry, and (3) the project addresses many of the core ideas targeted by the NAS (eg, matter and its interactions, the dynamic interaction of energy and ecosystems, earth and human activity, etc). Previous educational and outreach projects that incorporate some or all of these aspects have been reported as highly successful. 10-12