Education

Quality STEM Education For All

A focal point of ISB is making STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education a reality for every student regardless of race, gender or socioeconomic status.

We work with students, teachers, principals, and other district leaders — every part of the education system — and we involve STEM professionals to provide support and inspiration for each of those stakeholders to learn, live, work and engage in an increasingly STEM-centric society.

  • BY THE NUMBERS

    Experiential learning opportunities

    More than 2.6 million students have used ISB’s instructional materials through 60,000 teachers in all 50 states and in more than 100 countries. These instructional materials are housed within ten complete curriculum modules. We are currently working on ten additional modules.

  • BY THE NUMBERS

    Investing our time

    ISB’s education team leverages the experience of the STEM professionals with whom we share a workspace. Annually, ISB employees volunteer their support to education: One-third of ISB employees voluntarily participate in education and outreach, which equates to more than 400 hours of time and expertise.

  • BY THE NUMBERS

    Inspiring teachers to inspire students          

    Each year, we serve 30 school districts by way of  400 days of professional development in support of 50 district and school leaders  and  1,000+ educators who teach an estimated 77,000 students.

Former ISB High School Intern Radhika Dalal

Students

Students are the core of the STEM education system and they need robust opportunities to nurture their interests, develop their aspirations, and build their knowledge and skills.

We encourage students to learn more about systems biology in particular, and STEM practices in the workplace in general, by engaging in real world experiences in our facilities. We host a variety of experiences for classes and individual K-12, undergraduate and graduate students.

Internship Programs

ISB internships offer faculty mentoring of high school, undergraduate and graduate students throughout the year.
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ISB Courses

ISB offers several advanced systems sciences courses tailored to scientists and researchers.
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Teachers

As quality teaching has the greatest impact on student learning, many of our education efforts focus on the teacher as a critical element of the system.

ISB’s Systems Education Experience (SEE) program is a scientist-student-educator partnership that provides experiential learning through hands-on curriculum, teacher training and student internships. SEE works toward translating interdisciplinary research practices into experiences, including cutting-edge, hands-on curriculum and internships/externships. They provide professional development to teachers, training them to use and develop STEM curriculum modules for high school classrooms.
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ISB’s Logan Center for Education provides professional development steeped in the research base for teaching and learning, contemporary science, engineering and mathematics. Logan Center for Education partners with school districts to work with teams of teachers, K-12, through our professional development programs, which are founded in learning research, contemporary science and engineering, and, importantly, offered within the context of a given school system.
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School Leadership

Our systems approach to education drives us to incorporate professional learning experiences for the leaders in our education systems, including principals, district science specialists, and teacher leaders.

ISB’s The Logan Center for Education works with districts to customize professional development and coaching experiences for leaders that positively impact science teaching and learning.
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Valerie Logan Award for Leadership in Science Education

Since 2012, ISB has been recognizing leaders in science education. The recipients are listed below.

2021     Doug Dowell, STEM Coordinator and Grant Supervisor, Central Kitsap School District

2019     Damien Patenaude, Superintendent, Renton Public Schools

2018     Kyle Kinoshita, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment , Seattle Public Schools

2017     Colleen Sheridan, Biology faculty, Highline Community College

2016     Ellen Ebert, Director of Science Education in the Learning and Teaching Program, OSPI

2015     Gene Sharratt, Executive Director, Washington Student Achievement Council

2014     Brian Fabien, Associate Dean, UW College of Engineering

2013     Meena Selvakumar, Vice President, Pacific Science Center

2012     Don McConkey, Deputy Superintendent, Snoqualmie Valley School District

STEM Professionals

Our decades of experience working with educators have demonstrated that STEM professionals can be pivotal touchstones for all elements of the STEM education system. Students and educators alike are inspired by their stories and appreciate opportunities to deepen their understanding of STEM knowledge and practices. We support and train STEM professionals to engage with the education system in a variety of settings: educator professional development, curricular resource development, classrooms, and internships. If you have questions, please email Jennifer Eklund.

Awards to STEM Professionals

Since 2019, ISB has been recognizing STEM professionals at ISB with two awards for their partnership and contributions to ISB Education. The recipients are listed below.

JoAnn Chrisman Award for Distinguished Service to STEM Education (Gold)

2022     Dr. Serdar Turkarslan, Baliga Lab

2021     Dr. Jacob J. Valenzuela, Baliga Lab

2020     Chris Lausted, Hood-Price Lab

2019     Dr. Mónica V. Orellana, Baliga Lab

Dr. Christine Schaeffer Award for Exemplary Service to STEM Education (Silver)

2022     Dr. Christian Diener, Gibbons Lab

2021     Dr. Matthew Idso, Heath Lab

2020     Dr. Adrián López Garcia de Lomana, Baliga Lab

2019     Dr. Nyasha Chambwe, Shmulevich Lab

 

Outreach

ISB has a commitment to the transfer of knowledge through purposeful education and outreach. We encourage students and educators to learn more about systems biology in particular, and STEM practices in the workplace in general, by engaging in real world experiences at in our facilities. We host experiences for a continuum of students and educators from K12, to undergraduate and graduate students.

Tours, Job Shadow, and Informational Interviews

As schedules and space allows, we welcome student and educator groups to tour ISB facilities, as well as opportunities for job shadows or informational interviews with our scientists and administrators.

To learn more and/or get involved, please email us at education@isbscience.org.