Biodesign Challenge After-School
What is BDC After-School?
At Biodesign Challenge, we know that the future leaders in Biodesign and sustainability are sitting in classrooms all over the world. BDC After-School trains and supports Champion Instructors in underserved high school classrooms and after-school programs to prepare students to participate and compete in the Biodesign Challenge. BDC A-S’ interdisciplinary focus merges ethics, biotech, and design to create and nurture these thinkers and practitioners.
Why Participate?
“This project gave the students an opportunity to explore what they wanted to do professionally and speak to experts in the field. It also helped them to learn about different issues both socially and scientifically that they may have never otherwise come across.”
Alisal High School x Nest Makerspace students present their project, Biotech Paletero Cart, at a local community event
Aula x Firsthand students stand in their lab and discuss their research virtually with their advisors
“Participating in BDC definitely influenced what I want to pursue... After the Challenge, I had more knowledge and decided to continue researching sustainable agricultural methods. ”
“The program was helpful in terms of support. It felt nice to have a community who shared in similar experiences, and it helped not to feel alone in this process.”
BDC High Schoolers participate in a workshop as part of the annual BDC Summit, led by revered biodesigner and artist, Elaine Young
“The Biodesign Challenge really left me curious about how biology can shape our future to become more sustainable. The experience was really inspiring and enriching.”
Learn about BDC A-S Alumni, Mauricio Chavez’s experience here.
Benefits
-
Workforce Development: BDC After-School provides an on-ramp for future careers in science, biotech, art, and design.
Empowerment: Students grow confident in their voices by sharing the stage with participants from top schools around the world.
Expert Advocates: BDC invites professional mentors and guest speakers—all leaders in their fields who come from similar backgrounds to the students—to support the students well past their participation in the Biodesign Challenge.
New Horizons: Students harness their imaginations and learn design thinking to envision the next wave of biotechnology innovations and impacts.
Press Coverage + Publicity: High schoolers from BDC have been profiled in prominent publications, presented at conferences, and exhibited in museums and galleries all over the world.
Education: Students gain access to the latest developments in cutting-edge science and design education.
A Global Stage: Each year, students travel to New York from across the world, meet peers, and share their research with an audience of experts and like-minded colleagues.
-
Financial Support: Instructors receive a teaching honorarium and a stipend for classroom materials to develop thoughtful, cutting-edge biodesign courses.
Network: Instructors have opportunities to meet like-minded peers interested in the pedagogy and practice of biodesign.
Teacher Trainings + Resources: BDC provides curriculum support, training workshops, monthly one-on-one check-ins, a library of readings and videos, and other resources throughout the program.
Academic acclaim: Through BDC partnerships, instructors have opportunities to publish their research in well renowned academic journals and present their work on international stages.
Publicity: Instructors and schools have been profiled in publications; teams have exhibited in global museums and galleries; and instructors have given talks and led workshops at Columbia, MIT, MoMA, and more.
Summit + Symposium in New York City: Instructors travel to New York to meet and network with peers and biodesign practitioners.
Banner Video Credit: Sista-Sis Biodula Services by Paul Robeson High School 2022