K-12: Courses/Materials

Information is grouped by Center and the Centers are listed in chronological order with the oldest Center first

Center for Modular Biology (Harvard University)

The Center for Modular Biology student-focused high school outreach effort is planned and coordinated through our outreach coordinator Tara Bennett. The Bauer fellows, their graduate students and postdocs teach a lab course to about 100 students per year who come from local urban high schools with a high percentage of underrepresented minority students. The goal of the so called “plasmid lab” is to teach students about restriction enzymes and their role as important tools in modern molecular biology. Students also gain significant hands-on experience in laboratory techniques such as gel electrophoresis, and learn the basic laboratory process that can identify an individual based upon a sample of DNA. A new lab, “Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory”, will be added in the spring of 2010. Laboratory course offerings are modified in accordance to current Bauer fellow research projects, providing attending students with the most recent information. One general objective is to educate and excite high school students - in particular those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds - about research and encourage them to explore biology further. More information on the classes are available on our outreach website.

Center for Cell Decision Processes (MIT)

Women’s Technology Program (WTP)

WTP is a 4-week academic summer program at MIT for sixty female high school students at the end of their junior year. Students attend WTP in either the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, or the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this program is to introduce high school girls to fundamental topics in electrical engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering, and the emerging role of these fields in the life sciences. The WTP curriculum consists of hands-on projects, guest speakers, and lab tours and includes systems biology-related activities. Participants are selected from a pool of several hundred applicants.

We believe that the biology/engineering interface is an effective way of engaging talented female students in quantitative thinking and showing them their potential for success in engineering-related disciplines. Of the sixty girls that participated in the 2008 program, several applied to MIT.

Center for Genome Dynamics (The Jackson Laboratory)

Independent Studies in Computational Biology (ISCB)

Center for Genome Dynamics researchers have developed Independent Studies in Computational Biology (ISCB) to introduce high school students to the real world tools used in computational biology. The program is held throughout the academic year and consists of a series of lectures, journal clubs and student research projects. Students in Maine and North Carolina are taught remotely via distance learning and web based tools.

GeniQuest

GeniQuest is a team effort combining the talents of the Jackson Laboratory, the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance, and the Concord Consortium to develop classroom modules to teach computational biology.

Center for Complex Biological Systems (UC Irvine)

COSMOS, provides a residential academic experience for our rising generation of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Monday through Friday sessions will have UCI COSMOS students learning and interacting with UCI faculty, scientists, and graduate students. The curriculum is designed by UCI faculty with the goal of challenging students to think in depth and scope in a subject area for which they have a passion. Tuesdays and Thursdays are typically lab/field days. With support from private foundations, we have engaged high school science and mathematics teachers to share their expertise. Each cluster also features Technical Writing and Communication, which gives students the opportunity to draft a technical/scientific abstract, develop a project and poster, clarify understanding of key concepts, share ideas, and build teamwork.

Chicago Center for Systems Biology

Middle and High School Science Program

Every other summer, twenty-five middle school children from the Chicago Public Schools participate in a systems biology related one-week program to explore genomics and genetics through role-playing scenarios and lab-based experiments. This collaborative project will be led by the Field Museum’s Education Department and Pritzker Laboratory and Center scientists. Its goal is to introduce fundamental concepts about genes, DNA, and genetics to students. Activities include discussions and activities from leading researchers, lab tours that highlight systems biology research, role-playing scenario-based problem solving, and student oral presentations about their investigations. Participating students will be invited to participate in the Summer Teen Volunteer program at the Field Museum. In addition, they will receive a one-year family membership to the Field Museum.

Science Clubs

The goal of the Center’s Science Clubs and school visits is to coordinate graduate students’, postdocs’, and faculty schedules to encourage them to visit with neighborhood students and provide small-group and one-on-one mentoring in science. Mentoring will include helping students prepare systems biology related projects for the annual CPS science fair, held at the nearby Museum of Science and Industry. Science club students visit Center labs and facilities.

Science Fairs

Center faculty help mentor science fair projects linked to middle school and high school research projects.

Young Scientist Training Program (YSTP)

The Young Scientist Training Program (YSTP) is a training program focused on minority high school students.

RIBS: Research in the Biological Sciences

The goal of the Research in the Biological Sciences (RIBS) program at the University of Chicago is to provide a four-week training program for high school students. It surveys topics related to molecular, microbiological, and cell biological techniques currently used in research laboratories. Basic lab skills are taught. Some students will be invited back the following summer to carry out a research project in one of the faculty labs at the Center. A hands-on systems biology course module will link students to Center projects. Modeling activities highlight links between environmental perturbations (such as stress) and complex system dynamics. Students who are interested in applying must have completed 10th-grade and excelled in high school biology.

CSP: Collegiate Scholars Program

The goal of the Collegiate Scholars Program (CSP) at the University of Chicago is to provide Chicago Public School (CPS) students with an opportunity to enjoy systems biology lab experiences in the summer. Ninth graders who have distinguished themselves through their academic achievements and contributions to school and community are invited to apply. Sixty students are accepted annually. The summer after 9th and 10th grade are opportunities for Scholars to take 3–4 science classes taught by University faculty. CSP will offer students seminars, lab and facility tours, and 4-6 week lab rotations in the Center. A summer stipend is provided.