HutchLab: A Science Learning and Leadership Program

Grant #: 1 R25 RR14283-01

Principal Investigator: Nancy Hutchison, Ph.D.
Project Site: HutchLab, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., DE-390, Seattle, WA 98109-1024
Phone: (206) 667-4486
E-mail: nhutchis@fhcrc.org

Web Site: http://www.fhcrc.org/education/hutchlab/

HutchLab E-mail: hutchlab@fhcrc.org
HutchLab Phone: 206-667-4482

Teacher in Residence: Dave Masterman, Ph.D.
Program Manager and Teaching Scientist: Caren Brinkema
Science Education Postdoctoral Fellow: Wendy Law, Ph.D.
Instructional Team: Dave Masterman, Penny Pagels, Sherry Stuber, John Arlt

Summary of Project

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is now funded for three years to design, develop, and implement a multi-faceted science education program-HutchLab. The program is leveraged by the Center's successful Science Education Partnership (SEP) program in creating opportunities for students, teachers, and scientists to work together in preparing students who will become effective and thoughtful citizens with broad opportunities for meaningful and gainful work and living healthy lives.

Investigative, relevant science experiences challenge and motivate students to learn. Active practice builds the habits of mind-observation, theorizing, making analogies, posing questions, testing of ideas-that are essential to the thinking skills and problem solving abilities students must develop and use to be successful.

The interconnected components of HutchLab provide:

  1. Integrated learning and investigative science experiences for students
  2. Professional development in leadership and science content for teachers
  3. Opportunities and training for scientists to work together with teachers and students
  4. Science education instructional materials and teaching strategies for use by secondary school teachers in their classrooms

HutchLab builds on the successful models established by CityLab at Boston University Medical Center and at the Pacific Northwest Labs at Battelle. The program reflects the new Learning Goals and Science Essential Academic Learning Requirements for Washington State as well as the perspectives of the National Science Education Standards and Project 2061's Benchmarks for Science Literacy and Science for all Americans.

With Hutchinson Center funding, HutchLab was successfully piloted during the summer of 1999 with a focus on genetic diseases of blood. NIH-SEPA funding began September 30, 1999 and will run through August 31, 2002.

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