K12/Outreach

Center for Biology Education precollege programs catalyze K-12 science education reform by promoting an inquiry-based approach to learning and building long-term partnerships with schools, teachers and community members. The Center works to enhance science education and career opportunities for all students.

    Teacher Programs

    • ARMS: The Adult Role Models in Science partnership brings together community resources, UW-Madison personnel and Madison teachers to engage elementary and middle school teachers, students and families in hands-on science through classroom and extracurricular experiences.
    • LTER: The Long-Term Ecological Research Network Project is a collaboration between CBE, the North Temperate Lakes LTER, the UW-Madison Center for Limnology and the Wisconsin Center for Education Research, teacher professional development and provides science enrichment opportunities for students.
    • SES: Science Education Scholars Program brings School of Education students and classroom teachers together as a teams to perform summer research projects under the guidance of UW-Madison scientists.
    • WisSELA: The Wisconsin Science Education Leadership Association is an organization of science educators (representing K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, state agencies, etc.) who meet biennially to discuss issues of vital importance to Wisconsin science education.
    • WisTEP: Wisconsin Teacher Enhancement Program provides courses and workshops for K-12 teachers during the summer and throughout the school year.

    K-12 Students

    • FSN: Family Science Nights, as part of the ARMS program, bring together community resources, UW-Madison personnel and Madison teachers to engage elementary and middle school teachers, students and families in science experiences. We can provide a template, ideas and contacts for you to organize an event at your school.
    • PEOPLE: The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program For Learning Excellence is a UW-Madison/school partnership to enhance college preparation and academic success of minority students from Wisconsin. CBE coordinates the science curriculum for the program's high school component and provides professional development for instructional staff.
    • SSI: The Summer Science Institute brings high school students from underserved populations to the UW-Madison for a summer residential program that provides them with academic enrichment and scientific research experience.

    General Public Outreach

    • HOPE: The HOPE Partnership (Health Observations and Public Education) is an innovative science education project designed to raise awareness about how public health research is contributing to the prevention, detection and/or treatment of diseases and illnesses.
    • Water for Everyone: Through a partnership with the DNR and UW Extension, this stream and river monitoring program incorporates the development of educational resources, professional development, and public outreach. (More information coming soon!)
    • Paradise Lost: This multimedia art and science exhibit focuses on climate change, its impacts on northern ecosystems and our role in decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The exhibit will travel throughout northern Wisconsin in 2007 and beyond in 2008.

    Teaching Resources

    • BioLEARN: (Linking Educators As a Resource Network) is a collection of teaching materials developed, tested and reviewed by Wisconsin teachers, for middle and high school life science classrooms.
    • Food for Thought: The Cookie Analogy: Food for Thought:The Cookie Analogy uses a familiar activity (baking cookies) to explain genetics concepts.
    • Reebops: The Reebops activity uses an imaginary organism to illustrate genetics concepts.