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ADAPTING AND SCALING THE BIOTINKERING APPROACH THROUGH A COP MODEL - PROJECT SUMMARY AND ABSTRACT DESPITE THE RAPIDLY ADVANCING LANDSCAPE OF MODERN BIOLOGY, THE MAJORITY OF EXPERIENCES THAT K-12 LEARNERS HAVE WITH BIOLOGY ARE STILL ROOTED IN TRADITIONAL PROCEDURAL AND PRESCRIPTIVE APPROACHES. THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN A MORE 21ST CENTURY APPROACH TO BIOLOGY – ONE THAT EMPHASIZES OPEN-ENDED EXPLORATION AND CREATIVITY AS KEY ELEMENTS OF SCIENTIFIC PRACTICE. OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS AS PART OF OUR PREVIOUS SEPA AWARD, WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN AWARD-WINNING APPROACH TO INFORMAL BIOLOGY EDUCATION, BIOTINKERING, THAT AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGES YOUNG PEOPLE WITH SCIENCE AS A PERSONALLY RELEVANT AND CREATIVE PROCESS BY SUPPORTING LEARNER AGENCY AND CHOICE. OUR PROJECT, ADAPTING AND SCALING THE BIOTINKERING APPROACH THROUGH A COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (COP) MODEL, AIMS TO EMPOWER OTHER INFORMAL SCIENCE INSTITUTIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN AND CO-AUTHOR THE FUTURE OF BIOTINKERING WITH US. TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT ENSURING THAT OUR BURGEONING APPROACH CAN MEANINGFULLY CONTRIBUTE TO BRINGING MORE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES INTO STEM FIELDS, OUR PROPOSED COP CENTERS COMMUNITY AND CO-DESIGN. COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS AT EACH PARTICIPATING SITE WILL BE INTEGRATED THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT TO HELP BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR BIOTINKERING THAT IS MORE INCLUSIVE AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT, ESPECIALLY FOR MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. TO REACH OUR DESIRED IMPACT, WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING 3 AIMS. FIRST, WE WILL ESTABLISH A THRIVING BIOTINKERING COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE TO SUPPORT DIVERSE PRACTITIONERS IN GAINING CONFIDENCE WITH DOING BIOTINKERING IN THEIR OWN CONTEXTS. BY USING A COP MODEL TO DO INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING, WE CAN CREATE LASTING IMPACT ON THE FIELD BY BUILDING A DISPERSED NETWORK OF BIOTINKERING HUBS EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT AND MENTORSHIP TO OTHER PRACTITIONERS. SECOND, ALL FOUR FOUNDING MEMBERS OF OUR BIOTINKERING COP WILL DEVELOP CULTURALLY RELEVANT BIOTINKERING ACTIVITIES, CO-DESIGNED WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES, TO GENERATE A MORE DIVERSE REPERTOIRE OF EXPERIENCES FOR VARIED AUDIENCES AND ENVIRONMENTS. THIS WILL RESULT IN HANDS-ON BIOTINKERING EXPERIENCES BEING IMPLEMENTED AROUND THE NATION, REACHING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND PROVIDING LEARNERS WITH PATHWAYS TO DEVELOP STRONGER STEM IDENTITIES. AND THIRD, WE WILL IDENTIFY STRATEGIES AND PROMISING PRACTICES THAT CAN BE USED BY PRACTITIONERS TO ADOPT BIOTINKERING AS AN INCLUSIVE APPROACH THAT CENTERS COMMUNITY VOICES. OUR NEW COMMUNITY AND INCLUSION-FOCUSED RESOURCES, FORGED FROM DIVERSE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES AND CO-DESIGN LEARNINGS, WILL BETTER SUPPORT THE ADAPTATION OF BIOTINKERING TO DIVERSE SITUATIONS AND CONTEXTS, MAKING IT EASIER TO FURTHER SCALE THIS WORK TO ADDITIONAL INFORMAL LEARNING SITES AND NEW COMMUNITIES. THIS APPROACH CAN GENERATE THE TYPES OF INFORMAL LEARNING EXPERIENCES SOCIETY NEEDS TO SERVE AS INSPIRATIONAL ENTRY POINTS FOR A MORE DIVERSE NEXT GENERATION OF BIOTECH AND BIOMEDICAL INNOVATORS. LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES OF THIS PROJECT CAN ALSO OFFER VALUABLE INSIGHTS ABOUT USING COPS AS A MODEL FOR SELF-SUSTAINING SCALING AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER WITHIN THE INFORMAL SCIENCE LEARNING FIELD.

BIOHEALTH LEARNING LAB AND MAKERSPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY

THE TECH INTERACTIVE, A HANDS-ON SCIENCE CENTER, WILL CREATE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES THAT EMPOWER YOUTH FROM HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES TO ENVISION THEMSELVES IN STEM CAREERS. INFORMED BY PRE-PROJECT RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS, THE CENTER’S STEM PATHWAYS COMMITTEE WILL SELECT TWO TO THREE PROGRAM IDEAS TO TEST, INCLUDING STEM EVENTS, PROJECT-BASED MENTORING MODELS, AND CAREER EXPLORATION RESOURCES FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE COMMITTEE INCLUDES EDUCATORS FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, SAN JOSE PUBLIC LIBRARY, ENVISIONEERS (A YOUTH MENTORING ORGANIZATION), AND STEM EDUCATION NONPROFITS. TO SUPPORT CO-CREATION OF RESOURCES, THE CENTER WILL TRAIN PAID COLLEGE INTERNS WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE SIMILAR TO THE TARGET DEMOGRAPHIC TO OFFER INSIGHTS AND AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGE YOUTH AS NEAR PEERS. MULTIPLE FOCUS GROUPS WILL PROVIDE FEEDBACK USED TO REFINE THE PROGRAMS UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND ENSURE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF CAREER-CONNECTED RESOURCES INTO EXISTING PROGRAMMING.

THE TECH WILL IMPLEMENT AN ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN STAFF GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CAPACITY FOR BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE. PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE DEVELOPING CAREER LADDERS SO STAFF ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION KNOW THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH; IMPLEMENTING TRAINING AT EVERY LEVEL TO BUILD AWARENESS OF THE NEW CAREER LADDERS AND INDIVIDUAL PROFESSIONAL GOALS; INTEGRATING INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESS GOALS INTO BOARD POLICIES AND PRACTICES AND STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES; AND CREATING A DASHBOARD TO MEASURE PROGRESS. THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT THE MUSEUM'S 130 STAFF MEMBERS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WHILE INCREASING JOB SATISFACTION, RETENTION, AND WORK PERFORMANCE, BUILDING A MORE RESILIENT ORGANIZATION.

BIOHEALTH LEARNING LAB AND MAKERSPACE FOR THE COMMUNITY

THE TECH WILL CONDUCT AN EVALUATION OF ITS VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS TO ADAPT TO THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE EDUCATION COMMUNITY AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE CONDUCTING A LANDSCAPE NEEDS ASSESSMENT TO BETTER UNDERSTAND EDUCATORS’ PERSPECTIVES ON FIELD TRIPS AND BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION; UPDATING EXISTING FIELD TRIP PROGRAMS, MARKETING, AND OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE FINDINGS WITH ITERATIONS AS NEEDED; AND PUBLISHING/DISSEMINATING LEARNINGS AS A CASE STUDY TO SUPPORT OTHER SCIENCE MUSEUMS WITH STRATEGIES FOR MAKING FIELD TRIPS MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR SCHOOLS. THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION WILL AID THE TECH IN INCREASING FIELD TRIP PARTICIPATION TO PROVIDE MORE K–12 STUDENTS WITH CRITICAL HANDS-ON SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

MUSEUMS FOR AMERICA

EDU: COLLABORATIVE: CYBERSECURITY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT MUSEUMS: AN INFORMAL LEARNING APPROACH

NATIONAL AWARD FOR MUSEUM SERVICE