Amgen TransferCiència Programme: learning the skills to teach science in schools

By September 29, 2020BIST

BIST is collaborating in the Amgen TransferCiència initiative, an internship programme designed to bring science closer to society through giving its participants the skills necessary for teaching science to secondary school students. It is one of the activities included in the BIST Global Science programme, which aims to give our postdoctoral researchers the right skills to pursue leadership positions in research, as well as other sectors that benefit from top scientific talent, including science education.

The Amgen TransferCiència programme is an initiative of the Fundació Catalana per la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRi) with the sponsorship of the company AMGEN and the collaboration of several educational institutions, including Grup de Recerca Educativa en Ciències de la Salut (GRECS-UPF), ROBOTIX Balears, University of Valencia, and the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).

The programme will accept 30 researchers, with 15 from BIST centres. Participants will explore secondary school education by developing personal skills and learning about new approaches to teaching experimental sciences. The focus will be on improving students’ knowledge of genetics and biotechnology, show what the scientific method is and how it is applied in research activities, and inspire students to pursue science. Participants will get the chance to go into classrooms to teach students, practicing what they have learned and contributing to bringing science closer to society, one of the aims of the BIST Global Science programme.

Any postdoctoral and pre-doctoral researchers with a background and/or research experience related to genetics and/or biotechnology are encouraged to apply by October 13th, 2020. The programme will be run in Catalan and Spanish. Participants will also be able to validate ECTS credits for the Màster Universitari de Formació de Professorat de Secundària UPF-UOC (admission to the programme is required).

The Amgen TransferCiència programme has three main learning elements:
1) Theory-focused learning: Coursework to learn the theory related to genetics and biotechnology being taught in the current educational system.
2) Co-creation learning: Co-creation workshop to work together with classmates and professors to develop educational material to teach experimental sciences and scientific methodology using new approaches.
3) Learn by doing: Opportunity to try the skills you’re learning under the supervision of a classroom teacher and peers.

The tentative calendar and programme are:

Training sessions 
(November and December 2019):

Work in classroom
(February and March 2020):

1)      Kick-off meeting: Meet all participants, get programme details, share interests in education (last week of November)

2)      Webinar on educational system, ESO curriculum on genetics and biotechnology, new teaching approaches (second week of December)

3)      Co-creation workshop in Barcelona to develop material to use in classroom (first week of January)

1)    Class on genetics and biotechnology (2h)

2)    Experimental session following scientific methodology (2h)

3)    Visit a research centre

 

 

More Programme Details APPLY NOW