Work-Based Biotechnology Education from High School to Community College

生物技术和相关生命科学是美国增长最快的行业之一，对拥有两年或四年大学学位的入门级工人的需求很高。由于旧金山湾区生物技术产业和研究实验室密度高，该地区对生物技术工作者的需求很高。然而，该地区缺乏训练有素的入门级生物技术工作者。此外，来自非裔美国人和西班牙裔社区的人很少从事生物技术职业。因此，迫切需要为这些社区的学生开辟生物技术领域的新职业道路，这些社区的学生受到新冠肺炎疫情的影响不成比例。为了满足这一需求，该项目将支持旧金山城市学院的生物技术计划，与当地高中合作，激发高中生对生物技术的兴趣。学生将有机会参加实践活动、实地考察和实际工作体验，其中包括带薪实习。这些行动旨在扩大代表不足群体对生物技术的参与，并提高生物技术劳动力发展的能力。该项目的目标是通过加强来自STEM代表不足的社区的高中生进入社区大学学习生物技术的渠道，解决生物技术劳动力短缺和缺乏多样性的问题。为了实现这一目标，旧金山城市学院的生物技术教师将与目标学生人数较多的当地高中的教师合作。高中生将在实地考察期间参观学院，并参加精心策划的动手活动。此外，高中生将在暑期带薪实习期间获得宝贵的实验室工作技能。这些学生将接受领导力和同伴指导技能方面的培训，并将有机会担任课堂教学助理。学生们将了解生物技术职业和学院的教育机会。最后，在教员的监督下，旧金山城市学院的学生将制作外展和教学视频，以补充学院生物技术课程的教学材料，并加强高中生的学习体验。这些视频将免费传播给高中和其他教育工作者。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Biotechnology and related life sciences are among the fastest-growing industries in the nation, with a high demand for entry-level workers holding two-year or four-year college degrees. Because of the high density of biotechnology industries and research laboratories in the San Francisco Bay area, this region has high demand for biotechnology workers. However, the region has a shortage of trained entry-level biotechnology workers. Moreover, few individuals from African American and Hispanic communities pursue careers in biotechnology. Thus, a compelling need exists for opening new career paths in biotechnology for students from these communities, which have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this need, the project will support the City College of San Francisco’s Biotechnology program to work with local high schools to spark the interest of high school students in biotechnology. Students will have access to hands-on activities, field trips, and real-work experiences that include paid internships. These actions are designed to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in biotechnology and increase the capacity for biotechnology workforce development.The goal of this project is to address the biotechnology workforce shortage and lack of diversity by strengthening the pipeline of high school students from communities that are underrepresented in STEM into biotechnology studies at a community college. To accomplish this goal, the biotechnology faculty at City College of San Francisco will collaborate with teachers at local high schools with higher populations of the targeted students. High school students will visit the college during field trips and participate in carefully planned hands-on activities. In addition, high school students will gain valuable laboratory work skills during a paid summer internship. These students will receive training in leadership and peer mentoring skills and will be given the opportunity to work as classroom teaching assistants. The students will learn about careers in biotechnology and educational opportunities at the College. Lastly, under supervision of the faculty, City College of San Francisco students will develop outreach and instructional videos to supplement the instructional material for the College’s biotechnology courses and strengthen the high school student learning experience. The videos will be disseminated freely to high school and other educators. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.