Pre-College Outreach

The Regional Biotech program is an outreach program of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services serving Hispanic students of the Rio Grande Valley from 5th through 12th grade. The program was inspired by City Lab at Boston University College of Medicine.

Regional Biotech uses biotechnology and medical laboratory science to introduce modern bioscience to middle and high school teachers and students. Regional Biotech features hands-on laboratory classes for students in basic biotechnology theory, techniques, and methodology.

The Regional Biotech program offers its curriculum in three formats:

1. Teachers and students can experience hands-on training sessions in a state-of-the-art clinical laboratory setting on the UTPA campus.
2. Teachers can opt to have complete laboratory kits shipped to their school campus for presentation in their own classroom. (Teachers are required to receive training on modules before choosing this option.)
3. Beginning January 1, 2006 the Regional Biotech Mobile Laboratory will begin operation. The lab is equipped for a maximum of 24 students. It contains all the high tech equipment found in our UTPA laboratory and can travel to more remote Valley schools that have not had the opportunity to participate in the program for lack of travel resources.

The outreach program is funded by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health.