October 10, 2006 > Grant for Ohlone College pathway program

by Josie Sette

Ohlone College has received a grant to create a science education project creating a pathway between middle school, high school and the community college. The project, Bay Area Learning Alliance for Bioscience (Bay-LAB), will integrate career preparation in bioscience and biotechnology with high school graduation standards, targeting under-represented minority populations and deaf or hard of hearing students.

The program fosters alignment between high schools, regional occupation programs, and community college programs. Student persistence and success in the biotech career pathway will be enhanced by a "learning community" strategy that includes peer tutors and industry mentors, summer camps, job shadowing, internships, and teacher training activities.

The two-year grant is funded by Senate Bill 70 through the California Community College Chancellor's Office of Career Technical Education and Economic and Workforce Development.

Ohlone College will head the project, which will be implemented at Chabot College, California School for the Deaf, Mission Valley ROP, and Newark Junior High School. It will enjoy support from Ohlone's Biotech Consortium partners: Genentech, CellGenesys, Scios (Johnson & Johnson Division), Tri-City One Stop Career Center, and the Northern California Biotechnology/Bioscience Center (NCBC).

For additional information about the grant and the project, please contact Josie Sette at (510) 979-7952.