THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. and
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amgen Foundation
today announced the launch of the Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE)
program in Pittsburgh, Pa. Through
a grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, the region's
students will become a part of the Amgen Foundation's respected
international science education program, making it the tenth
program site in the United States
and the 20th worldwide.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8490256-amgen-foundation-biotech-experience/
Citizen Science Lab will serve as the program site for the ABE
Pittsburgh, administering the program to local high schools for
free. During its initial pilot year (2019–20), the ABE Pittsburgh
has enrolled teachers from Pittsburgh Public Schools, City Charter High
School, Propel Charter Schools, Upper St.
Clair School District and Bethel Park School Districts.
Across the various school districts, the science education program
aims to reach 6,000 students in the first year and 12,000 in the
second year.
The Amgen Foundation created ABE as a way to reimagine how high
school students experience science in the classroom and to help
expand science literacy more broadly. In 2017, the Amgen Foundation
announced ABE's expansion to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Italy, The
Netherlands and Singapore.
The program is already under way in multiple locations across
the United States, Puerto Rico, United
Kingdom and Ireland.
Globally, ABE is expected to reach nearly 900,000 secondary school
students by 2020 in 20 regions around the world.
"Our goal is to create classroom experiences that will inspire
students and ignite their interest in careers in science," said
Scott Heimlich, Ed.D., vice
president of the Amgen Foundation. "The solutions to humanity's
biggest challenges—from healthcare to the environment—will be
tackled by future scientists, some who may have their passion
sparked through the Amgen Biotech Experience. We're grateful that
the Richard King Mellon Foundation is working with us to bring
hands-on biotechnology experiences to the students of Pittsburgh."
For nearly 30 years, ABE has empowered high school science
teachers to implement real-world biotechnology labs in their
classrooms, helping their students better understand science and
how it influences their daily lives. The initiative provides
professional development resources for teachers, instructional
materials, and research-grade equipment, such as micropipettes and
gel electrophoresis, to underserved classrooms. Through a series of
lab experiences, the students are immersed in the concepts and
techniques scientists use to discover and develop new innovations
in health.
"Pittsburgh has a lot to offer
as far as informal science education experiences. The problem is
many of these programs are not accessible to the youth who need it
in the neighborhoods that need it," said Andre Samuel, Ph.D., president and CEO of
Citizen Science Lab, and ABE Pittsburgh program site director.
"This program allows us to train teachers who can then bring it
back to their classrooms. That's one of the reasons we are excited
to partner with the Amgen Foundation—to bring this hands-on science
learning experience to our local high school students and teachers
in Pittsburgh."
Communities that have implemented ABE have seen a significant
impact. Results of an independent evaluation by WestEd found that
ABE students have shown substantial gains in biotechnology
learning, as well as increased confidence and interest in doing
science and biotechnology. Specifically:
- Students had a statistically significant increase of their
biotechnology knowledge and skills (p<0.001).
- Students averaged a 20% increase between pre- and post-test
scores.
- 82% of students got new ideas about what happens in science
labs.
- 72% of students got new ideas about what science is.
- 53% of students are more interested in learning about science
research.
- 53% of students report increased interest in science careers
from ABE participation.
Separately, WestEd has awarded ABE with the highest possible
ranking in STEMworks, its database of effective STEM education
programs. Business leaders, funders, and STEM advocates use
STEMworks to find proven, scalable programs to help them maximize
their impact on STEM education.
Learn more about ABE by visiting AmgenBiotechExperience.com. To
learn more about the Amgen Foundation's other science education
programs, visit AmgenInspires.com.
About the Amgen Foundation
The Amgen Foundation seeks
to advance excellence in science education to inspire the next
generation of innovators and invest in strengthening communities
where Amgen staff members live and work. To date, the Foundation
has donated over $300 million to
local, regional, and international nonprofit organizations that
impact society in inspiring and innovative ways. The Amgen
Foundation brings the excitement of discovery to the scientists of
tomorrow through several signature programs, including Amgen
Scholars, Amgen Biotech Experience, and the soon-to-launch
LabXchange. For more information, visit www.amgeninspires.com and
follow us on Twitter @AmgenFoundation.
About The Citizen Science Lab
The Citizen Science Lab
is a hands-on laboratory where inquisitive minds and science
enthusiasts can explore the life sciences. It is open to everyone
to observe and analyze through discovery-based learning and STEM
enrichment.
In January 2015, Duquesne University and Urban Innovation21
partnered to create and launch The Citizen Science Lab (CSL). Now
in our 5th year of operation, The CSL has served over 3,000
students through numerous programs that primarily serve as
extracurricular educational support for public school students
through two locations in the Hill District and in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. The CSL is currently in
development of an additional lab in Beaver County and the city of Philadelphia.
The CSL values the importance of encouraging youth to explore
STEM through hands on experimentation and lab activities. Our
philosophy is that students learn the most when provided with a
hands-on activity to discover the solution to a problem. The CSL
utilizes hands-on experimentation to deter the disinterest students
have with STEM as a result of the lecture-based learning that is
commonly associated with these fields of study. Additionally, when
students are given hands-on experimentation opportunities, the
technology they are working with is not advanced which deepens
their disinterest. The CSL works to solve this issue by teaching
students techniques that are identical to the techniques used in
laboratories globally. These techniques, coupled with unique and
advanced technology, ensures that students obtain a fruitful
educational experience while concurrently having an enjoyable time
with their peers.
CONTACT: Amgen Foundation, Thousand
Oaks
Jessica Akopyan, 805-447-0974
(media)
Citizen Science Lab
Andre Samuel, 412-482-3340
(media)
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SOURCE Amgen