Biotech Partners’ innovative model unites urban school & community college districts & scores of life science employers to transform young people’s lives through science. BP:
• Provides an interactive academic curriculum & paid bioscience job training to help minority & low-income youth bridge the achievement gap, pursue post-secondary education & end generational cycles of poverty
• Equips students with the education, life & work skills necessary to access meaningful science careers
• Diversifies the life-science industry with those from populations historically excluded from well-paying careers

“A lot of what I have in my life and what I’ve obtained as far as education, work & life skills is due to Biotech Partners. This program changes people’s lives.” - BP Alum, Manager, BioM

Problem

BP serves SF East Bay youth facing crushing educational realities & equally bleak employment prospects; 89% of BP students come from families earning below median income & over 60% come from low-income families. 50% of Af-Am students & 66% of Hispanic students in Oakland drop out of high school & only 15% of those who do graduate are ready for college; only 14% Af-Am & 17% of Hispanic graduates who go to community college achieve a degree w/in 3 years. Student challenges: • Poor role modeling & home life stressors: Many grow up lacking reinforcement of the importance of academics or guidance on skills. Few have access to professional role models; many come from areas where drugs & crime seem feasible "careers" & face home life pressures (supporting family, caring for siblings, parental substance abuse, neglect, etc.). • Poor basic skills, low-expectations & limited academic endurance: Many students join BP w/poor math & literacy skills, having passed through lower grades w/out mastering the basics, inculcating low self-expectations. Most enter w/minimal "academic endurance" - the ability to stay on track & sustain focus over time. • Little connection between academic success & career choices: Many entering BP students have little exposure to college graduates or professionals & therefore don’t connect school w/what they will do in the future to support themselves. And, prior to BP, class material often seems irrelevant & studying fruitless. BP guides students in developing essential skills & helps them foster high expectations, self-confidence & aspirations for their future.

Solution

BP provides high school & community college students w/hands-on “linked learning” educational & job-training opportunities preparing them for bioscience & healthcare careers. BP’s high school Biotech Academy (Academy) & community college Bioscience Career Institute (BCI) foster students’ ability to succeed both academically & professionally & provide local science-based orgs w/skilled, reliable entry-level technicians. Academy 11th & 12th graders take 6 elective courses (4 biotech, chemistry & algebra) focusing on bioscience employment skills. BP's free program provides extensive 1-on-1 attention (max 25/biotech class; lab assistant in Academy classes; tutoring, personal & career counseling) at Berkeley & Oakland Tech High Schools. Scientists & alumni bring real-world scientific experience & hands-on experiments into class to inspire students. Workforce prep includes a Career Awareness Conference, resume prep workshops & mock interview training prior to interviews for paid science-based summer internships after 11th grade. Guided by volunteer mentor-supervisor scientists/technicians, students learn industry practices & essential soft skills. Academy graduates may apply to the BCI which provides advanced lab training & college courses (Algebra, Intro to Bio, Microbiology, Inorganic Chem, & Organic/Biochem), placement in higher paying mentored co-op jobs; &, upon completion, a Certificate of Achievement in Bioscience. Weekly co-op education classes provide employment development training & support. Students also receive extensive staff support, free tutoring & stipends. Innovative contribution to the field - BP knows of no org synthesizing BP’s key program elements: targeting underserved & often initially underperforming youth, high school & community college structure, paid internships & wrap-around support services, all enabled by strong partnerships w/ 40+ orgs. Other programs mostly target high-performing students, limit internships to one field (e.g. healthcare) &/or don’t offer PAID internships, a critical incentive (& often, need) for BP students.

Example

After spending his freshman and sophomore years floundering in school as a gang member, Raul entered our junior class with a tentative desire to change his future. The first quarter was a particular struggle for him, as he tried to juggle both the academic and gang worlds, as well as take care of a younger sibling. He had a particularly hard time learning how school could benefit his life and future; he neglected his homework and was frequently absent. However, Raul still wanted to do something positive with his life. At the end of the first semester with the support of Biotech Partners staff, he chose to “jump out” of the gang. Immediately, Raul’s grades began to improve—from Ds and Fs to As and Bs. To keep himself on track during his most vulnerable times, he joined an after school program. His determination and hard work paid off; at the end of his junior year, Raul qualified for a summer internship, which he tackled with enthusiasm and knowledge. In fact, his mentor called him the “hardest working intern of the summer” at a site with many interns, mostly college students. Currently, a senior, Raul is taking Biotech 3 & 4, as well as completing an independent study in Geometry to in order graduate in June. After graduating, he is planning to go into the BCI program and then on to a four-year college to pursue employment in a medical field.

Marketplace

W/a successful long-term track record & well-established partnerships w/40+ orgs, including excellent relations w/Berkeley & Oakland Unified School Districts & host schools, BP is confident in its programmatic sustainability. Key challenges to ongoing success include: Availability of funding - while BP has sustained itself for 18 years, the org’s current funding mix partially relies on local govt sources which may disappear due to budget cuts. BP is working to expand its institutional donor base (corporate & private foundations) & individual giving. Based on its trajectory & tools under development (strategic plan, evaluation & database development), BP is confident it will be able to secure new private & public funding (if available, e.g. Nat’l Science Fndtn & Dept. of Labor). National paucity of trained & experienced secondary science educators willing to work in under-resourced urban schools - BP works w/school-selected teachers to optimize scientific teaching, providing intensive classroom support & training opportunities, including industry internships. Availability of internships & host-paid student wages - BP’s paid high school & community college internships are essential to students’ success as well as the program’s success & future growth. When BP expands to a new school/district, many new internships will be needed. Staff is actively working to recruit new internship hosts able to pay wages & who will accept high school students &/or students w/less than a 4-year degree, the latter still a prevalent industry prejudice which BP continuously works to overcome. Tell us about your partnerships As reflected in its name, BP’s success relies on the strengths of the unique partnerships it has established w/industry, academia & other institutions. Industry - Employees of industry partners serve as volunteer mentors during internships, as guest speakers motivating students to pursue biotech careers, as presenters at the annual Career Awareness Conference & as judges at the annual intern poster competition. Employee engagement significantly benefits BP & has been seen to boost morale & job satisfaction of participating volunteers. Partners include: Bayer HealthCare, Novartis AG, East Bay Municipal Utility District, USDA, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Kaiser Permanente, the Joint BioEnergy Institute, Children’s Hosp Oakland Research Institute, labs at UC Berkeley, & many more. Education - BP has deep relationships w/its partner public schools & school districts, creating a collaboration that increases student services & resources. Schools benefit from lab equipment & supplies provided by BP, a BP-paid teaching/lab assistant in each Academy class, teacher training opportunities, & extensive personal & academic support & job placement for students. Support Services - BP prepares students not just for bioscience careers but for successful lives by partnering w/other community-based organizations & individuals to teach critical life-skills (e.g. time & financial management (CitiBank, INOVA Credit Union), appropriate dress/comportment (Wardrobe for Opportunity)) & personal counseling (pro bono services of licensed professionals). Other individuals also contribute significantly to BP students’ success including HR specialists, youth development professionals & science professors, among other examples