Giving — Funding Opportunities
Education
Education programs have been an integral part of the Venter Institute’s mission for the past decade. Nearly four years ago, staff and scientists at the Venter Institute decided to take the science of genomics directly to students in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. Using a specially outfitted bus, this mobile genomics laboratory program, DiscoverGenomics!, was designed to support teachers by promoting enthusiasm about science and genomics for students, particularly those with limited opportunities to explore first hand the excitement of scientific discovery. That program has been an overwhelming success, having helped thousands of students at more than 60 schools.
Now, the Venter Institute would like to bring this successful mobile lab model to the West Coast. Now more than ever, society needs an enthusiastic and science-literate society, and the way to make this happen is by intervening with kids during the early stages of their education. It is perhaps the most exciting time ever for young people interested in science. The educational programs of the Venter Institute, and especially the mobile genomics labs, can help students understand that they can be part of making genomic discoveries that will not only increase our basic understanding of life processes, but will also enhance life itself.
