Summer school at Fred Hutchinson Center for IHS teacher

As part of the Science Education Partnership (SEP), Issaquah High teacher Bryan Robles has joined an elite group of two-dozen science teachers from across the state that was invited to spend summer working alongside scientists in research laboratories at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

The workshop, which runs from July 10 through July 26, aims for teachers to bring what they've learned back to their classrooms to enhance bioscience lessons-particularly genetics and molecular biology-and get students excited about possible careers in science.

After learning laboratory procedures, the teachers spend about half their time working one-on-one with a professional scientist mentor in a research laboratory on projects tailored to their interests. The other half of the teachers' time is spent in workshops focusing on effective ways to use scientific techniques in the classroom and refining curriculum for the coming school year.

After his SEP experience, Robles will be able to use the program's science-kit loan program to enhance his classroom lessons. The kits-costing up to $10,000 each-are assembled and maintained at the Hutchinson Center and contain all the equipment necessary for experiments in areas like DNA gel electrophoresis, bacterial transformation, and fruit-fly genetics.

SEP also offers teachers surplus lab supplies, a resource library with the most current materials, and a $500 stipend and graduate-level credit through the University of Washington.