Work-Based Biotechnology Education from High School to Community College

生物技术和相关的生命科学是美国发展最快的行业之一，对拥有两年制或四年制大学学位的入门级工人有很高的需求。由于旧金山湾区高密度的生物技术产业和研究实验室，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初级生物技术工作者。此外，很少有非裔美国人和西班牙裔社区的人从事生物技术方面的职业。因此，迫切需要为这些社区的学生开辟新的生物技术职业道路，这些社区受COVID-19大流行的影响尤为严重。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项目，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、实地考察和包括带薪实习在内的实际工作经验。这些行动的目的是扩大代表性不足的群体对生物技术的参与，并增加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中代表性不足的社区的高中生进入社区大学学习生物技术，来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员将与目标学生人数较多的当地高中的教师合作。高中学生将在实地考察期间参观学院，并参加精心策划的实践活动。此外，高中生将在带薪暑期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能力和同伴指导技能方面的培训，并有机会担任课堂助教。学生们将在学院了解生物技术的职业和教育机会。最后，在教师的监督下，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经验。这些录像将免费分发给高中和其他教育工作者。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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.