New GK12: Molecular Biology Initiative in Rural Southeast Georgia

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Molecular Biology Initiative in Rural Southeast GeorgiaThe goal of the Molecular Biology Initiative (MBI) program is to enhance the education of biology students pursuing advanced degrees (M.S.) by providing fellowships, long-term mentoring, on-going professional development activities, and rigorous molecular biology training. As part of their professional development, MBI fellows are partnered with biology or chemistry high school teachers; and the fellow-teacher teams work together to design hands-on, inquiry-based molecular biology activities for the classroom. A unique feature of the program is the ability of fellow-teacher teams to link their projects with on-going university research. The MBI program provides team support through workshops, seminars, intensive mentoring, and an annual symposium. The overall outreach program design considers inquiry-based learning educational research and the outcomes of a two-year pilot program conducted by the PI. The MBI program will have sustainable impacts at the university and high schools. The program will pilot a transformative graduate program model for professional development and close mentoring of fellows. This approach will contribute to the education of outstanding and diverse cohorts of graduate students with strong communication, pedagogy, leadership, time-management, and discipline-specific skills; and an intimate knowledge of issues facing K-12 science education. It will enhance university molecular biology research programs and improve the quality of science education in rural high schools via in-service teacher training and infrastructure improvements. Each year the MBI program will directly impact 11-14 graduate students (at least 30% from traditionally underrepresented groups) and over 1000 high school students from high-need schools (45% economically disadvantaged students, 37% minorities).