Jackson Laboratory’s has received a $1.3 million National Institutes of Health grant to help boost genetics instruction in high schools.
The funds will be used for Jackson Laboratory’s Teaching the Genome Generation program. It will support five years of teaching the professional development program designed to enhance genetics instruction in high school classrooms. The funded program provides hands-on training for high school science teachers, helping them to bring greater understanding of the basics of genomics to their students.
The Jackson Laboratory in Farmington and Bar Harbor, Maine, will provide lab equipment, reagents and supplies to enable teachers and their students to conduct genetics experiments, collect and analyze real data, and discuss the ethical complexities of personal access to genetic information.
To date, the pilot program has trained 47 teachers and 1,200 students, including all New England states. With the new grant, Teaching the Genome Generation is expected to reach up to 3,000 students each year between 2016 and 2021.
The Jackson Laboratory offers educational programs for scientists throughout their careers—from STEM education for high school students and training for science teachers to courses and conferences for experienced researchers defining the cutting edge of genomics research and specialized training for physicians interested in incorporating genetics and genomics into their practices.
