DC Biotech: Improving Opportunities for Urban Minority Students

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Biological Sciences (61) The DC Biotech project is creating a Washington, DC-area consortium to improve student competencies in science, broaden students' career opportunities, and improve biotechnology workforce diversity. Project objectives are to (1) create work experiences and certification in biotechnology for District of Columbia high school students, (2) align DC school biotechnology curricula with local community college curricula, (3) provide DC science teachers with professional development in biotechnology, (4) disseminate project information through various print, electronic, and live venues, and (5) sustain the consortium through partner commitments after funding ends. Nearly all of the students served by the project are underprivileged minority students who attend two urban high schools in Washington, DC.Consortium partners include the Carnegie Academy for Science Education (the lead organization), the District of Columbia Public Schools Office of Career and Technical Education, McKinley Technology High School, Ballou Senior High School, the Biotechnology Industry Advisory Committee, Montgomery [Community] College, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, the Discovery Center of Catholic University of America, Craig Venter's DiscoverGenomics!, The Biotechnology Institute, Bio-Link, and the National Association of Biology Teachers.To improve student educational access and career opportunities, the project is (1) providing students with 8-week mentored summer work experiences in biotechnology at local companies and federal agencies, (2) creating a high school-level biotechnology program that is aligned with community college and employer expectations and leads to biotechnology certification, and (3) offering students community-based opportunities to work in a mobile biotechnology laboratory, make biotechnology-related instructional videos, or mentor middle school students in biotechnology. To align and articulate the biotechnology curriculum and develop competency standards, the project is coordinating meetings among high school, community college, and partner representatives to review course syllabi and developing biotechnology certification standards. To promote teacher professional development, the project is converting Montgomery College's advanced biotechnology courses for online delivery to teachers, providing teachers with summer work opportunities in biotechnology, and offering mentoring support for teachers.Project processes and products (for example, student-created instructional videos) will be disseminated through conferences, workshop presentations, partner organizations, and a website. An independent evaluator is conducting formative and summative evaluations of student experiences, curriculum alignment, teacher professional development, dissemination, and consortium development and sustainability. The consortium "will be the backbone to sustain this project once this funding ends." The project will impact an estimated 150 high school teachers, 20 college teachers, and 3,200 high school students.