Biotechnology Education and Training Sequence Investment (BETSI)

Southwestern College, Chula Vista CA

Investigators

Abstract

Southwestern College, a Hispanic serving institution, is the only community college that currently provides biotechnology training for southern San Diego County. One focus of the BETSI Project is outreach to three feeder high schools through faculty training and curricular support in the basics of biotechnology. During summer workshops, high school biology teachers and selected students try out the new curriculum designed for high school science courses. A mobile lab provides biotechnology supplies and equipment. The Project Coordinator and community college students trained through the Southwestern College Biotechnology Program serve as mentors for high school students and provide technical support as lab assistants to high school faculty during summer workshops and for classes during the regular school year. The BETSI Project also facilitates updating of the Southwestern College biotechnology curriculum to address current topics that include the ethical, legal and societal implications of the Human Genome Project. The community college articulation partnerships with feeder high schools and 4-year transfer institutions provide students with pathways to industry employment. The training aspect of the BETSI Project concentrates on increasing the number of funded student research internships and cultivating collaborative relationships with the local biotechnology industry. Coordination of students' participation in internships with industry and academia immerse them in the biotechnology environment and provide them with employment opportunities.