The Private Hospital Authority of DeKalb County (PHADC) has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) to develop biotechnology modules or kits for use in local area schools.

The program development is three-fold. First the curriculum will be converted into learning modules that can be used in any classroom and taught either as a full one-week long academic enrichment activity or used as individual lessons to supplement the classroom environment.Second, IBB will host a training program which will be piloted with a core group of teachers from the DeKalb County School System in June 2008. Lastly, the core group of teachers will then provide training to other teachers at the local level so that they are equipped with the knowledge necessary to teach the biotechnology modules and use the kits in their classrooms.

The program will be developed in partnership with DeKalb County Office of Economic Development, the DeKalb County School System and Georgia Bio. “This program is unique,” said PHADC chairman Dr. Eugene P. Walker. “It gives teachers the tools to teach teachers about a critical educational area.”

The biotechnology program evolved from IBB’s biotechnology middle school camp which provides twenty students each year with the opportunity to spend a week learning about the latest developments in the field of bioengineering. The $15,000 grant from the PHADC will enable IBB to share that curriculum piloted in the biotechnology summer camp and transition the curriculum into general use in high school and middle school classrooms.

Funding from PHADC will be used to support the development of the curriculum for the teacher training and IBB will be responsible for the administration of the program. IBB has served as a bridge between Georgia Tech and the Atlanta community for many years and this latest grant is representative of IBB’s continued commitment to improving K-12 education and providing teachers with opportunities.