GTAC®
Professional Learning for High School Life Science Educators
Genetic Technologies for All Classrooms (GTAC) is an intensive professional learning experience offered at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology that prepares science educators to address high school-level genetics, genomics and biotech content. All workshops include a five-day academy at HudsonAlpha and a package of HudsonAlpha-developed kits and materials for their classroom.
Learn more about GTAC professional learning programs:
Interested in virtual professional learning opportunities? Check out our Beacon online offerings.
GTAC: Unity and Diversity, June 3-6, 2024
Advances in genomic research have opened new lines of investigation and enhanced our understanding of evolution. Interestingly, much of that is happening right here in Alabama. Yet many teachers feel ill-equipped to address Alabama Biology Standards 14, 15, and 16. GTAC: Unity and Diversity is designed to help educators understand the connection between genomic research and evolutionary biology, leverage available digital and hands-on resources, and use modern computational tools to analyze relevant data. Hear from researchers, engage in high-tech labs to enhance your understanding and return to the classroom with the tools needed to share information with your students.
Additional details:
- Open to high school life science teachers who teach Biology and AP Biology.
- 2024 tuition: $900*. Includes dorm-style housing, a certificate for take-home materials, and onsite breakfast and lunch daily. *Alabama public high school teachers have subsidized tuition (including classroom materials and optional housing) and mileage reimbursement (for those over 40 miles) provided by the Alabama State Department of Education and the Alabam Legislature.
- Participants will earn 32 hours of continuing education credit
- Attending educators will receive gift certificates to purchase targeted classroom materials after the conclusion of the workshop.
GTAC: Ecosystem Genetics, July 8-11, 2024
Focusing on the intersection of Ecology and Genomics content, this new, four-day workshop will address content found in Biology, AP Biology and Environmental Science classes. How does DNA analysis help us understand ecosystem dynamics? How does modern genomic research interact with the agriculture practices that feed our world? There is no prerequisite for GTAC: Ecosystem Genetics.
Additional details:
- Open to high school life science teachers who teach Biology, AP Biology or Environmental Science.
- 2024 tuition: $900. Includes dorm-style housing a certificate for take-home materials, and onsite breakfast and lunch daily. *Alabama public high school teachers have subsidized tuition (including classroom materials and optional housing) and mileage reimbursement (for those over 40 miles) provided by the Alabama State Department of Education and the Alabama Legislature.
- Participants will earn 32 hours of continuing education credit.
- Attending educators will receive gift certificates to purchase targeted classroom materials after the conclusion of the workshop.
GTAC: Advanced Concepts, July 15-19, 2024
GTAC: Advanced Concepts is an intensive professional learning workshop that helps life science teachers delve more deeply into genetics content they can use in advanced life science classrooms, like AP or IB Biology. Over the course of five days at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, educators will learn from scientists involved in cutting-edge genomic research, use modern biotech equipment and laboratories, and develop classroom plans with implementation support. GTAC: Essential Biology is not a prerequisite for GTAC: Advanced Concepts.
Additional details:
- Open to high school life science teachers who teach advanced life science courses such as AP Biology, IB Biology, and Honors Biology courses.
- 2024 tuition: $1300*. Includes dorm-style housing, take-home materials, and onsite breakfasts and lunches daily.
*Alabama public high school teachers have subsidized tuition (including classroom materials and optional housing) and mileage reimbursement (for those over 40 miles) provided by the Alabama State Department of Education and the Alabama Legislature. - Participants will also earn 40 hours of continuing education.
- Educators who complete the training will receive classroom kits, materials and resources to be utilized in their classrooms.
GTAC: Essential Biology
GTAC: Essential Biology is a five-day professional learning workshop that focuses on the genetics content encountered in a General Biology course. Participants will dig deeply into modern genetics content through hands-on laboratory practice and content-deepening talks by leading scientists. GTAC: EB empowers educators to bring high-impact biology content and instruction to their students.
Additional details:
- GTAC: Essential Biology will not be offered for the summer of 2024.
