Biotech Summer Institute

• Participate in the Summer Institute from July 8-12, 2024 at Genentech Headquarters in South San Francisco, CA.
  • Review the Futurelab+ curriculum and get implementation support from fellow teachers, Genentech employees, and Futurelab+ partners.
  • Hands-on biotech lab training with BABEC.
  • Planning time for integrating components of the Futurelab+ curriculum into your classroom during the 2024/25 school year.
  • Deeper exposure to relevant industry connections to the curriculum.
• Participate in the Professional Learning Community during the 2024/25 school year.
  • In-person and virtual experiences to support curriculum implementation, connect with biotech professionals, and gain hands-on lab training. More details provided during the Summer Institute.
• Report on your experience so that we can continue to refine and improve the Futurelab+ Professional Learning Community.

• Life science teachers (bio, biotech, health science, etc.) who would like to bring biotech into their classrooms.
• Teachers at Title 1 high schools in California.
• No background in biotech necessary!

• Stipend: $1,000 for full participation in the Summer Institute week.
• Travel & hotel accomodations: Teachers visiting from outside the greater San Francisco Bay Area (50+ miles) will be provided with up to $1,500 travel reimbursement funds. Those within will receive up to $800.
• Meals:  Breakfast and lunch provided each day. Monday night dinner provided. Tuesday – Thursday dinner on your own. 
• Continuing Education: Teachers can opt to receive Continuing Education Credits from Sacramento State University.
• Lab Supplies and Equipment: Teachers may be eligible to receive materials needed for selected Futurelab+ labs at no cost (see details below). Teachers will have access to BABEC staff for implementation support.
  • (Details: Teachers within 50 miles of Burlingame, CA are eligible for free lab reagents and equipment rental. Teachers outside of 50 miles of Burlingame, CA are eligible for free lab reagents.
• Employee engagements: Opt to bring Genentech employees into your classroom to enhance your students’ experience with the Futurelab+ curriculum.

The centerpiece of Futurelab+ is a new, free, industry-aligned, open-source high school biotechnology curriculum written by and for teachers, available at Futurelabplus.com.

• Covers two years of instruction.
• Equips teachers with hands-on labs, interactive resources, and career exploration tools.
• Designed to be flexible enough for teachers to integrate lessons into the scope and sequence of their existing life science courses.
• Aligns with existing educational standards, including the California Career Technical Education (CTE) Model Curriculum Standards for Biotechnology, and incorporates three-dimensional learning innovations of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
• Prioritizes industry-alignment, covering the full spectrum of the product life cycle – from molecule to medicine, with intentional focus on associated career opportunities.

Futurelab+ is an ambitious, Genentech-sponsored initiative to get U.S. high school students excited about biotechnology and help build a more diverse and inclusive future workforce in science and medicine. Ignited is proud to collaborate with American Institutes for Research (AIR), BABEC (Bay Area Bioscience Education Community), Discovery Education and Jobs for the Future (JFF) on Futurelab+.

Futurelab+ is comprised of three core elements: 1) a free, industry-aligned, open-source high school biotechnology curriculum available at Futurelabplus.com; 2) a Professional Learning Community that offers professional development, lab supplies, and a network of teachers teaching biotech; and 3) access to volunteer biotech professionals on the Futurelab+ Network.