Dayton Biomanufacturing Camp for Underserved Communities

Lead organization: UES, Inc.

Project partners: BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute

Year launched: 2022

 UES, Inc. (UES), located in Dayton, Ohio, is partnering with the BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Institute (BTC Institute) to establish summer camps for underserved communities in Dayton, Ohio to support education and workforce development in bioindustrial manufacturing. This program will deliver much needed exposure to biomanufacturing as well as experiences that raise students in the greater Dayton area’s interest and self-efficacy related to these careers, furthering BioMADE’s mission. Program goals are:

  • Enhance biotechnology and biomanufacturing awareness in local, underserved communities

  • Educate students on related career and education opportunities

  • Bridge the gap between current curricula and industry-relevant skills

The camps will target two different groups:

  • High school students with little or no prior exposure to biotechnology/biomanufacturing

  • High school students with some prior exposure to biotechnology/biomanufacturing and interest in pursuing a career or higher education in the field.

Camps will take place at a local university and occur in Summer 2023 and Summer 2024 with one offering of each camp projected for each summer. Both camps will include a variety of sessions in addition to hands-on active learning activities, such as industry and/or government speakers, industry tours, targeted soft skills development sessions, and exposure to local higher education programs. To maximize the impact of the program, students will be trained in and practice presentation skills throughout the camps, culminating in a presentation activity for a larger audience of family and friends. Connections to biomanufacturing will be made throughout the camps including through hands-on and soft skills activities as well as industry tours. UES and the BTC Institute are uniquely qualified to establish the proposed program as UES can provide subject matter expertise and local and national academic, industrial, and government connections and the BTC Institute can provide expertise in STEM and biotechnology program development and curricula dissemination. The curricula developed for the camps will supplement the BTC Institute’s current educational offerings with a biomanufacturing-based curriculum and will be disseminated to secondary teachers and students locally and nationally. To benefit the BioMADE ecosystem, both biomanufacturing-based hands-on activity curriculum as well as full camp program agendas will be provided to all members.

Funding source: BioMADE Project Call 2.0

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