Some 90 middle and secondary school science teachers from 40 states attended a June 20-25, 1994, workshop on genome education in Kansas City, Kansas. Organized by Debra Collins (University of Kansas Medical Center), the meeting was supported by the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues (ELSI) component of the DOE Human Genome Program.
The workshop was part of an ongoing project to prepare teachers to demonstrate instructional materials in their classrooms and at local, state, and national education meetings; serve as resource professionals; and help students understand complex choices they may face as modern medicine and the knowledge of human genetics progress. Participants must commit to attending 1-week workshops during two successive summers, using workshop materials in the classroom, and sharing information and networking with other teachers.
All 115 teachers who have attended the three workshops so far are expected to reach 25 peers, each of whom has about 140 students. Thus, these teachers could reach over 400,000 students every year. As diagnostic capabilities expand, teachers can also serve as important liaisons between genetic professionals and the general public in distributing information about human genetics. Collins would like to receive names of scientists and ELSI experts willing to serve as mentors for networking with teachers.
The fourth workshop will be held June 19-24 in Kansas City. |
| Author: Aaron Hall |
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