Tift County High Students Can Now Take Biotech Course
Thursday, January 26, 2012
TIFTON — Tift County High School is now offering a course that helps prepare students for careers in medicine and agriculture.
The “Introduction to Biotechnology” course is being offered with
training from the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus and with a grant
from the Georgia Work Ready Program. The course is accepted as a
science elective for high school graduation and is approved by the Board
of Regents.
The biotech course is hands-on. Craig Matthews, Tift County Schools’
career tech and agriculture education director, said the hands-on
aspects are only going to get better for students by the end of the
course.
Approximately 20 students under the instruction of Denver Dunn are
learning 21st century lab protocols and skills, said Susan Reinhardt,
the director of UGA’s Students & Teachers Applying Real-Life Science
Program, also known as STARS.
She said funds provided by the Work Ready grant will give students
exposure to state-of-the-art laboratory equipment as they learn to use
spectrophotometers, micropipettes, digital balances, gel electrophoresis
boxes and microcentrifuges to perform biochemical applications and
techniques.
“This hands-on course is part of a medical career pathway, but skills
taught are applicable to careers not only in medicine but also
agriculture,” Reinhardt noted.
Helene Dutcher, an instructional coach and TCHS assistant principal,
said the students in the course have been enthusiastic about it and get
to use up-to-date equipment — integrating technology with instruction.
Dutcher said the course will provide students with a background that
will lead to many connections in career options.
The Work Ready Program offers skills assessments for job-seekers, job
profiles for businesses and science education for students, Reinhardt
said. She explained that a key component of the program is the
partnership between industry and education, and the skills taught in the
biotech class were some requested by area industries.
The UGA’s STARS Program saw it as an opportunity to continue its biotech
teacher training program begun under the supervision of Dr. Peggy
Ozias-Akins’ laboratory while at the same time equipping classrooms with
the biotech equipment.
“It is a chance for students to better understand the concepts taught in
class through hands-on applications; and what they are taught, they see
all around them as new plants and seeds are developed in agriculture
and new pharmaceuticals in medicine,” Reinhardt said. “Even programs
like “CSI” help to highlight the biotech industry.”
Jimmy Cargle, who has been teaching a biotech class in agriculture for
four years at the high school, said he recently taught his class DNA
electrophoresis, which involves the analysis of DNA in a crime scene,
paternity testing and livestock. Also, students extracted their own DNA —
epithelial cells from their own mouths — and placed it into a clear
vial to wear as a necklace.
Cargle said the biotech students are applying what they learn in the classroom.
“We’re very fortunate in Tift County to have this laboratory (located in
the Agriscience building), which is one of a kind in the state seen by
the foreknowledge of Superintendent Patrick Atwater, who is a strong
component of higher-level education” Cargle said.
He said that Reinhardt, along with NESPAL – UGA’s National
Environmentally Sound Production Agriculture Laboratory – are major
forces in promoting the instruction and development of biotech courses
for Tifton and surrounding counties.
“Biotech class is a direct result of Susan Reinhardt’s efforts,” Cargle said.
The bioscience industry has remained steady in these economic times,
earning it the title of “recession resistant,” according to Charlie
Craig, president of Georgia Bio, a private non-profit life science
industry association.
Georgia Bio’s 2011 “Shaping Infinity” report highlights the economic
impact of the industry and its opportunities for employment.
Reinhardt said the Georgia Bioscience Technology Institute’s effort is
to get students involved in biotech to attract bioscience industries.
She said that Georgia has lost some bioscience industries to North
Carolina because the Peach State does not have available skilled workers
in the field.
She said other partners who have helped fund teacher training in past
years include Tift Regional Medical Center and Dr. Jessica Beier, while
Moultrie and Wiregrass technical colleges have administered Work Ready
assessments and job profiles for industries.
For more information about biotech activities or upcoming workshops,
contact Reinhardt at 386-3050 or slr@uga.edu, or visit the STARS
website, www.ugastars.org.
SOURCE: Tifton Gazette http://tiftongazette.com/x1669704395/Tift-County-High-students-can-now-take-biotech-course