A core mission of the MLSC is preparing students for successful employment in the life sciences and enhancing the talent pipeline for life sciences companies in Massachusetts. A foundational piece of that core mission is supporting experiential learning opportunities for students at both the college and high school level. “In particular for the life sciences, we cannot rely only on supporting students at the colleges and universities,” said MLSC President and CEO Travis McCready.
Through partnerships with industry and school districts across the Commonwealth, we can extend these experiential learning opportunities into the high school by pairing dedicated young people, such as those in Brockton, with the training, education, and career opportunities to spark and cultivate their interests in the sciences.
The month of May marked the completion of the MLSC’s intensive, biotechnology lab training program for 24 Brockton High School students. In recognition of their successful completion of the training program, students received certificates of completion and $500 stipends for their participation.
The MLSC is grateful for the partnership and commitment experienced from the ground level up in Brockton. This past year, Brockton High School biotech teacher David Mangus received the 2019 Ron Mardigian Memorial Bio-Rad Explorer Award from the National Science Teaching Association. The award recognizes and rewards an outstanding high school teacher who has made biotechnology learning accessible to the classroom.
“The Apprenticeship Challenge is an amazing opportunity given to kids to help them further their knowledge in biotechnology,” said Brockton High School student Angela Thevenin, who is interested in pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering.
In this program, I believe I was given the most memorable experiences Brockton High has to offer to kids interested in going into the field of biotechnology. With the help of this program, I was given the opportunity to put one foot forward in achieving my goals for the future.
The largest high school in Massachusetts, Brockton High School is a previous recipient of three STEM equipment grants from the MLSC. Overall, the MLSC has provided Brockton High School with approximately $400,000 in STEM equipment and supplies funding, teacher professional development, and annual support of the lab training program. As part of the MLSC’s fiscal year 2019 STEM District Grant Program, Brockton also received $200,000 for Brockton middle schools. The middle school grant will catalyze the district’s plans to adopt a comprehensive and innovative science curriculum for all seven of their middle schools.
