STARNET--RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

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DESCRIPTION: (Applicant's Abstract) The abuse of psychoactive drugs, particularly tobacco and alcohol, is a major health problem in the United States, affecting people of all ages, both directly and through their contact with family members or friends who have a drug addiction. StarNet (Student- Scientist-Teacher Authentic Research Network) will involve high school biology teachers and their students in the state of' Washington and across the country in the excitement of scientific research and provide relevant resources for teaching about drug abuse research. Specifically, StarNet program will: I. Enable high school students and their teachers to participate in authentic research projects focused on unraveling the biology of drug abuse. Building on the existing efforts of the High School Human Genome, we will involve high school students and their teachers in Washington and throughout the country in sequencing human genes related to drug abuse. We will also place six teachers per year in university labs focused on drug abuse research. 2. Foster teaching about drug abuse research by compiling and disseminating information about material and human resources for teaching about the biology of drug abuse. We will identify outstanding resources for teaching about drug abuse research, including written materials, videos, and other outreach programs. Information about resources will be made available through our program web site. 3. Develop a model for dissemination of the project and support its integration into several key partner sites throughout the USA. We have already identified several partnerships that are committed to participating in this program, including the Spokane School District (WA), Gene Connection (San Mateo County) and the Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium (BABEC) (CA), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA), University of Chicago and the Chicago Museum of Science and Technology (IL). In Years 3 and 4, we will incorporate two additional partners (not yet identified). 4. Promote the growth of a supportive community of learners around this topic. To meet this goal we will build on the efforts of established outreach programs in our community (e.g. Making Connections: Expanding our Web and Addiction and the Brain: Beyond Saying No) to identify professionals in the area of drug abuse and connect them to teachers.