News — Seattle – June 27, 2024 – Fred Hutch Cancer Center has launched (PS2@FH), a new summer research program that trains middle school and high school teachers in Fred Hutch labs to expand hands-on learning experiences they can take back to the classroom.
“We’re excited to launch PS2@FH and offer expanded opportunities for teachers to really engage with the science happening at Fred Hutch,” said , PhD, associate vice president of Science Education and Community Partnerships at Fred Hutch. “By providing teachers with research experiences and resources, we are also making it possible for them to empower the next generation of scientists.”
Over two summers, PS2@FH participants will focus on a collaborative biomedical research project with a Fred Hutch scientist. For example, the Fred Hutch lab of , PhD, will host Dean Thompson, a science teacher at Newport High School in the Bellevue School District, to study mechanisms that control the innate immune system within melanoma tumor cells.
Funded through the the program will be offered alongside the Hutch Fellowship for Excellence in STEM Teaching and Science Education Partnership teaching programs. These programs, along with student-focused summer programs, are all part of Fred Hutch’s Science Education team’s aim to increase diversity in the next generation of scientists.
“Our programs provide teachers with an opportunity to step into a research lab to see for themselves what contemporary research is like,” said Kristen Bergsman, PhD, program manager for the Hutch Teacher Fellowship and PS2@FH. “Spending two summers in a Fred Hutch lab can help teachers develop their identities as scientists, refine their lab skills and spark an interest in a new scientific field.”
Upcoming Fred Hutch programs and free resources for teachers
The Science Education team recently received a $1.3 million, five-year National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award for a new program focused on cancer health equity. In addition to developing new curriculum and teacher offerings, it creates a new program specifically for Indigenous high school students led by Indigenous scientists and staff. The two-week program will focus on engaging students in a culturally relevant science research project and learning about community health.
Beyond creating opportunities for students, teachers and researchers to engage, the Science Education team develops . The program’s Intro to Cancer unit was recently designated as one of the few examples of a quality high school biology unit aligned to science standards used across the U.S., as part of the Next Generation Science Standards.
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