This year-round program will build on the university's Partnership for Minority Advancement in the Biomolecular Sciences (PMABS), a collaborative effort with seven of the state's historically minority universities to help underrepresented students realize careers in the biological sciences. PMABS now has teamed with Boston University School of Medicine's CityLab program to provide 3,000 minority and disadvantaged high school students in the central and eastern regions of the state with innovative opportunities to learn science skills. Called a "biotechnology learning laboratory for teachers and their students," CityLab helps high school teachers develop instructional activities that engage students by putting learning in their hands using a question/problem-solving format. The lab's modules cover fundamental topics in molecular biology and stimulate students' curiosity by presenting mysteries to be solved throughhands-on investigations. PMABS staff will establish CityLab pilot projects at two historically minority universities--North Carolina Central University and the University of North Carolina-Pembroke--and will conduct summer workshops to train high school biology teachers in how to use the curriculum in their classrooms. During the academic year, after the teachers have guided their students through the classroom activities, the classes will visit the universities to use the CityLab facilities to conduct a variety of sophisticated experiments.

Quickfacts Format: teacher workshops in biomolecular laboratories and summer camp for middle school students Area Served: central and eastern North Carolina Program dates: summer workshops, academic year field trips Open to: high school teachers and their students Contact: Carolyn Britt Hammond University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Campus Box 3280 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3280 919-962-2289 bhammond@email.unc.edu Links: Partnership for the Minority Advancement in Biomolecular Sciences UNC-Chapel Hill

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