Georgia Science Teachers Association, Georgia Bio Form First Ever Partnership for Biotech Education
Organizations Sign MOU for 2011 GSTA Conference
ATLANTA, GA (May 13, 2010) – The Georgia Science Teachers Association (GSTA) and Georgia Bio announce a first-ever partnership to highlight biotechnology education at the 2011 GSTA Annual Conference. The conference, scheduled for February 17-19, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, will feature a special biotechnology program, keynote speakers, hands-on activities and exhibits targeted to integrating biotechnology into the science classroom.
GSTA and Georgia Bio have executed a memorandum of understanding, detailing the partnership, the first time GSTA has collaborated with an industry association to develop targeted content for its conference.
“Biotechnology is an ideal way to engage students with hands-on activities and relevance in science education at all levels” says Charles Craig, president of Georgia Bio. “The GSTA partnership will demonstrate biotechnology resources for Georgia’s teachers, and continue the essential dialog between educators and industry to best prepare our students for future career opportunities.”
Educator interest is high in biotechnology as the Georgia Department of Education recently approved a statewide biotechnology curriculum. “GSTA provides its membership with leading-edge and timely resources for the classroom,” according to Kelly Price, EdD, GSTA’s Conference Program Chair for 2011. “The partnership with Georgia Bio will allow us to not only access a broad range of experts for our sessions, but also to connect the science to real applications and the economic future of our state.”
Georgia Bio is working with many partners to develop the program for GSTA, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emory University, Georgia Bioscience Technology Institute, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, and the Biotechnology Institute of Arlington, VA. A highlight of the program will be workshops by Ellyn Daugherty, biotechnology educator and author of Biotechnology: Science for the New Millennium.
Georgia Bio represents nearly 300 pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies, medical centers, universities, research institutes, government groups and other business organizations involved in the development of products that improve the health and quality of life people worldwide. For more information, visit www.gabio.org.
GSTA is a statewide nonprofit membership organization that seeks to expand the levels of student achievement by supporting quality teaching and learning. For more information, visit www.georgiascienceteacher.org.