June 30, 2015 (Cambridge, MA) — The MassBioEd Foundation, Massachusetts’ leading nonprofit organization supporting STEM education with a focus on biotechnology, will host its first ever BioTeach Summer Institute from Tuesday, July 7th through Thursday, July 9th at UMass Amherst.
The BioTeach Summer Institute is a three-day professional development workshop focused on biotechnology and molecular biology techniques and lab activities. Twenty-one Massachusetts high school biotechnology and biology teachers who are looking to incorporate more hands-on activities into their curricula will learn topics such as:
• Biotechnology lab skills and practice
• Technology for biotechnology
• Gel electrophoresis to analyze DNA
• Investigating personal genetics through PCR
This multi-day, residential training experience will enable teachers to overcome many of the barriers they encounter when incorporating lab experiences into their classrooms.
“Students who engage in challenging science concepts through authentic lab activities learn better, perform better in class, and their learning persists longer,” said Michelle Mischke, Director of Biotechnology Education Programs at MassBioEd. “Leading laboratory experiences, especially those involving new technologies, is a demanding task for teachers. The BioTeach Summer Institute is an additional way in which MassBioEd is helping to develop a community of educators and scientists that can share ideas, resources, and support throughout the academic year and inspire the students they teach.”
Support from the STEM Education Institute at UMass Amherst and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education @Scale Initiative has allowed MassBioEd to expand programs like this to teachers and students in Western Massachusetts.
Teachers who participate in the Summer Institute will earn up to 20 Professional Development Points (PDPs). MassBioEd is providing teachers with housing, meals and stipends made possible by @Scale funding.
Participating schools include:
School City/Town Belchertown High School Belchertown Bellamy Middle School Chicopee Cathedral High School Springfield Douglas High School Douglas Gateway Regional High School Huntington High School of Commerce Springfield Holyoke High School Holyoke Ludlow High School Ludlow Lynn Vocational Technical institute Lynn Malden High School Malden Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Fitchburg Murdock Middle High School Winchendon North Middlesex Regional High School Townsend Northampton High School Northampton Norton High School Norton Pembroke High School Pembroke Pioneer Valley Regional School Northfield Quabbin Regional High School Barre Sizer School Fitchburg Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School Northampton
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About MassBioEd Foundation
http://www.massbioed.org
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd Foundation), founded in 2001, is a nonprofit charitable organization committed to supporting science and biotechnology education in Massachusetts through school programs, workforce training, and lifelong learning. Serving as a link between education, industry, and government, MassBioEd is working to ensure Massachusetts’ biotechnology sector has an appropriately trained workforce to meet growing employment needs. MassBioEd’s BioTeach program provides professional development to hundreds of teachers in their biotechnology curricula and provides grants and lab equipment to 204 schools across the Commonwealth. In addition, MassBioEd’s Biotech Learning Center offers professional development courses for employees in the biotechnology sector to advance their professional skills.
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