SAN ANTONIO – For the past month, local science teachers have been getting a closer look at the real research developed by scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
The program is the first of its kind and was made possible thanks to the Science Education Partnership Award, a $1.25 million grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Rosemary Riggs, education outreach program manager for Texas BioMed, said the goal is to help teachers inspire the next generation of scientists.
“So that they can have a better understanding about the careers that are connected to infectious disease research here at Texas Biomed,” Riggs said.
Over the next five years, the program seeks to influence 8,000 to 10,000 students. Each year, more than a dozen new teachers will join the program.
San Antonio ISD teacher Diane Milagrow Natividad said it’s the best program she’s participated in in her 24-year teaching career.
“Being a native of San Antonio, I would love to grow more homegrown scientists right there in the backyard,” she said.