IGD-LA, raising biotech leaders in high schools through innovative mentoring and industry partnerships

This $648,020 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the STEM Education (CFDA 47.076) program will support the "IGD-LA, Raising Biotechnology Leaders in High Schools through Innovative Mentoring and Industry Partnerships" initiative at Los Angeles Pierce College. The project aims to increase awareness and engagement with biotechnology education programs among high school and community college students, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, in the greater Los Angeles region. Key activities include providing technical training to high school teachers on the Illumina Genomics Discovery curriculum, establishing a student-operated distribution center for genomics lab-in-a-box kits, and leveraging existing student internship infrastructure to create access to next-generation sequencing technology and diverse biotechnology career pathways. This collaborative initiative with the Biocom California Institute is intended to address the industry's demand for job-ready biotechnology technicians by building a pipeline of diverse students interested in pursuing biotechnology education and careers.

Abstract

Despite the industry demands for job-ready biotechnology technicians, the lack of awareness of and engagement with biotechnology courses and degree programs among high school and college students presents a major challenge for the industry, as well as a major unexplored opportunity for local youth in the greater LOS angeles region. The problem is not a lack of training opportunities. In fact, many biotechnology education programs region and statewide struggle to fill their courses; some programs even have to cancel their course offerings due to low enrollment. Although dual-enrollment programs are growing in the state of california, there is a persistent access GAP for many students, particularly those who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. The lack of awareness of biotechnology career pathways among students, parents, and high school teachers and counselors, exacerbates this access GAP. This project introduces a unique collaborative peer-mentoring strategy for high school teachers, empowering them to become leaders in their high school communities who teach, guide, and inspire a diverse student body to enroll in biotechnology courses and consider careers in this rapidly growing field. In partnership with the biocom california institute (BCI), this project will provide technical training for high school teachers in the greater LOS angeles region on the illumina genomics discovery (IGD) curriculum. The project will leverage institutional knowledge and an existing student internship infrastructure to establish a student-operated distribution center for the IGD lab-in-a-box program that serves both college and high school teachers and students in the greater LOS angeles region. This project will create access to genomic training and next generation sequencing (NGS) technology in the region and increase the visibility of various biotechnology career pathways among high school and community college students, particularly those who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are planned for this award.