Advanced Technological Education - ATE: Bio-Link: A National Advanced Technological Education Center for Biotechnology

Bio-Link的使命是加强和扩大全国社区和技术学院的生物技术技师教育，以1)增加训练有素的技术人员的数量和多样性；2)满足行业对受过适当培训的技术人员的需求；3)使社区大学的教育实践制度化，为所有学生提供现代、高质量的生物技术概念、技能和道德教育。Bio-Link位于旧金山城市学院的国家中心通过地区中心实施的协调国家战略为七个地区中心提供领导。地区中心位于全美的社区学院：东北-新汉普郡社区和技术学院；东南-阿拉芒斯社区学院；中北部-麦迪逊地区技术学院；中南部-奥斯汀社区学院；西北-西雅图中心社区学院；北加州生物技术中心-旧金山城市学院；以及西南-圣地亚哥城市学院。区域中心开展一些具体的实质性活动，帮助Bio-Link实现其目标。每个地区还发展与当地工业和教育机构的关系，以了解和满足地区需求并在当地传播信息。Bio-Link建立的目标是完成其使命的关键：1)为学生和技术人员提供支持，2)改善教学和学习，3)共享信息和资源，4)促进合作和伙伴关系。在这些目标下继续得到支持的一些主要成就包括：对美国各地社区和技术学院的所有生物技术技术人员计划进行调查；为来自全国各地的社区大学和高中教师举办的年度夏季研究员论坛，以分享最佳实践和学习新技术；以及Bio-Link网站，该网站包含从工作和研讨会公告到虚拟实验室、设备清单和教学材料等各种主题的信息。此外，Bio-Link还征集、测试和审查教学材料；协助项目开发；设计吸引学生，特别是未被充分代表的少数族裔加入生物技术的方法；总的来说，Bio-Link帮助教育工作者跟上这个行业的步伐，这个行业不仅在规模上不断扩大，而且从研发扩展到制造和计算机分析。通过这样做，Bio-Link使学生做好了最好的准备，以满足生物技术行业不断变化的需求。

Bio-Link's mission is to strengthen and expand biotechnology technician education at community and technical colleges throughout the nation in order to 1) increase the number and diversity of well-trained technicians in the workforce; 2) meet the needs of industry for appropriately trained technicians; and 3) institutionalize community college educational practices that make modern, high-quality education in the concepts, skills, and ethics of biotechnology available to all students.Bio-Link's National Center at City College of San Francisco provides leadership to seven Regional Centers using a coordinated national strategy that is implemented through the Regional Centers. The Regional Centers are located at community colleges throughout the United States: Northeast-New Hampshire Community and Technical College; Southeast-Alamance Community College; North Central-Madison Area Technical College; South Central-Austin Community College; Northwest-Seattle Central Community College; Northern California Biotechnology Center-City College of San Francisco; and Southwest-San Diego City College. Regional Centers pursue a number of specific substantive activities that help Bio-Link achieve its objectives. Each region also develops relations with local industry and educational institutions in order to understand and meet regional needs and to distribute information locally.The goals Bio-Link established are key to fulfilling its mission: 1) Provide support for students and technicians, 2) improve instruction & learning, 3) share information and resources, and 4) foster collaborations and partnerships. Some of the key accomplishments under these goals that continue to be supported include a survey of all biotechnology technician programs at community and technical colleges across the United States; an annual Summer Fellows Forum for community college and high school instructors from around the country to share best practices and learn new techniques; and the Bio-Link Website that contains information on a myriad of topics from job and workshop announcements to a virtual laboratory, equipment lists, and instructional materials.In addition, Bio-Link solicits, tests, and reviews instructional materials; assists in program development; devises means for attracting students, especially underrepresented minorities, into biotechnology; and works with high schools and baccalaureate institutions to improve articulation.In general Bio-Link helps educators keep up with an industry that is not only increasing in size, but expanding from research and development to manufacturing and computer analysis. In doing so, Bio-Link best prepares students to meet the evolving needs of the biotechnology industry.