Cold Spring Harbor, NY -- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) is the only New York metro area institution awarded a five-year grant for its pre-college science education programs from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The program we will pursue will be a model for how research institutions can interact with large school systems and transform science education for urban students, said David Micklos, Executive Director of CSHLs Dolan DNA Learning Center (DNALC).
CSHLs program will add six genetics and biotechnology experiments to the curriculum of 820 New York public school teachers who will be trained at the DNALCs state-of-the-art teaching facility on Long Island. Over five year the teachers will share a laboratory equipment footlocker and reagent kit, and will have access to a specially developed Lab Center internet site. As one of only 31 pre-college grants awarded by HHMI, CSHLs program will have a major impact on area science education and how research institutions and local schools can work together to increase science education opportunities.
The Pre-college Science Education Initiative for Biomedical Research Institutions aims to encourage research institutions to use their unique resources to stimulate interest in science, according to Dr. Peter J. Bruns, HHMIs vice president for grants and special programs, The efforts of CSHL and other institutions provide a crucial link between research and education communities and play an important role in strengthening scientific literacy for all citizens.
HHMIs panel of leading scientists and educators awarded CSHL a grant based on its demonstrated record of success in stimulating interest in science, enabling its continued commitment to broadening access to science across diverse populations. The DNALC was founded in 1988 as the worlds first science center devoted entirely to genetics education. With on-site and extensive interactive on-line learning opportunities, the DNALC
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Contact: Dagnia Zeidlickis
zeidlick@cshl.edu
516-367-8455
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
21-Jun-2007