"Many of us struggle long and hard to find ways to interest our students in biology and its relevance to them in their own personal lives. The High School Human Genome Program has given us an opportunity to involve our students in a very real way with the national effort to sequence the human genome. My students were able to add some real data to the gene data bank and were very excited about having done so.”

-Barbara Schulz, Biology Teacher
Lakeside High School
Shorewood High School


“I feel that it is important to look at the ethical issues brought up from new science discoveries. It is important for students to have a methodical way to think through these issues.”

-Bonnie dos Remedios, Biology Teacher
Roosevelt High School


“I’d like to thank you for exposing me to the intricate thermalcycling and DNA sequencing labs. Without your genuine interest in giving a group of high school students a chance of a lifetime, I’m sure my knowledge and experience in biochemistry would have been limited to a poorly-copied ditto and a complicated handout (both of which I probably wouldn’t have completed). Thanks again for making genetics a hands-on experience and for showing us a part of science we quite possibly will never see again.”

-Student, Garfield High School


“Forty-eight hours have passed, but I haven’t stopped reflecting on the fantastic experience of participating in the Teacher Training Workshop for the High School Human Genome Program. The Workshop exceeded my expectations for content and quality... I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this adventure in future-oriented science education!”

-Suzanne Black, Science Teacher
Inglemoor HS


“The hands-on experience of actually sequencing human DNA is essential to truly understanding genetic research. Before my experience at Lakeside, genetic engineering seemed totally incomprehensible to me, almost like magic. After having deciphered the bands on my group’s membrane the last day of the project, I now appreciate just how advanced genetic technology has become. I felt like I was doing really significant work. I cannot describe how thrilled and proud I was the last day when my group pulled our membrane out of its dark canister. Every band was definite and clear.”

-Student, Mercer Island
High School


“I think that my biology class peers and I learned a lot about DNA and DNA synthesis that we would not have learned through mere videos and notes. From my experience, getting to try things out is a much better style of learning for most students. By getting a chance to work with the pipettes and gels, I know that I came away from the lab with a much greater understanding of DNA and its synthesis.”

-Student, Nathan Hale High School

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