The Pathway

• Up to 8 Semesters of Proficiency Technical Training in the SM Biotech Training Center
  
  
• Career Project Field Trips
  
  
• Job-Shadows
  
  
• Industry Laboratory Internship
  
  
• Independent Laboratory Research Projects

The SMBCP program courses are articulated with biotechnology programs at local community colleges such as City College of San Francisco

Our Student Interns

• High School Students from all over SM County
  • 16 years or older with Biology 1-2 and G=C unit
  • Minimum completion of Biotech 1-2
  • Minimum 240 hours in the lab before placement
  • Are covered with Worker's Compensation and Liability Insurance by SM County ROP
  • Are mature, responsible, ready to benefit from their training, and demonstrate workplace etiquette

How does a Student Signup for Biotechnology class at San Mateo High?
  

• For Biotechnology 1 classes offered during the traditional school day:
  • SMHS students sign-up with their SMHS counselors during the regular scheduling period.
      
  • Students from other SMUHSD schools sign-up with Mr. Jimmy Ikeda, SMHS Biotechnology Teacher (jikeda@smuhsd.org) and notify their home school counselors that they want to take Biotechnology 1 during the traditional school day. SMHS day classes are taught in block schedule. To be able to take Biotechnology 1 during the school day, students from other schools must arrange their schedules to be able to be at SMHS for Biotechnology 1 every class day and on time. 2 weeks into the semester, SMHS will officially notify the home school of the students enrollment in the class. Grades are entered onto the students transcripts at the end of each semester.
      
• For 2013-14, 8° Biotechnology 1-2 (T&Th 3:40-5:55 pm) or 9° Biotechnology 3-4 (T&Th 6:00-8:10 pm):
  • SMHS students sign-up with their SMHS counselors during the regular scheduling period and must also sign-up with Ellyn Daugherty, SMHS Biotechnology Teacher (ellyn@bioteched.com). Ms. Daugherty maintains the "sign-up list" that is used to establish a waiting list. Make sure you are on both her list and the counselor's. Ms. Daugherty needs your name, address, phone #, email, school of record, and student ID#.
      
  • Students from other SMUHSD schools sign-up with Ms. Daugherty, SMHS Biotechnology Teacher (ellyn@bioteched.com). Ms. Daugherty maintains the "sign-up list" that is used to establish a waiting list. Make sure you are on her list. To be able to take Biotechnology 1-2 or 3-4 after school or in the evening, students from other schools must arrange their schedules to be able to be at SMHS for Biotechnology 1-2 or 3-4 every day and on time. Ms. Daugherty needs your name, address, phone #, email, school of record, and student ID#. Extra-curricular conflicts are not acceptable reasons to miss a class or to be tardy to class. 2 weeks into the semester, SMHS will officially notify the home school of the students' enrollment in the class. Grades are entered onto the students transcripts at the end of each semester.
      
• Adults and non-SMUHSD students
  • Adults students are not being admitted to SMBCP courses at this time. Adults should pursue biotech coursework at Skyline Community College, Foothill Community College, or Ohlone Community College. San Mateo County high school students from non-SMUHSD schools, should email Ms. Daugherty, ellyn@bioteched.com

How can a Company Partner?

• Informal Partnership
  • Allow for Career Projects/Job Shadows
  • Help set-up a Surplus Donation Program
  • Explore other avenues of support such as tours, speakers, scholarship programs...
    
    
• Formal Partnership (Internship Sites)
  • Sign an internship contract
  • Allow for mentor recruitment (primarily by Jimmy Ikeda, ROP Biotechnology Teacher) and internship placement

Benefits of Industry Partnership

• For SM Biotech Career Pathway Students
  • Higher level training/experience/practice
  • Connections/contacts
  • Possible employment
    
    
• For Biotech Company
  • Low-cost, semi-skilled temps
  • Future, satisfied employees
  • Try it before you buy it
  • Support science education
  • Positive Public Relations

Setting Up a Partnership

• Have "Legal" review contract. Sign contract.
  
  
• Decide on Mentor Recruiting Technique.
  
  
• Prospective Mentors send Interns Description to:
  Jimmy Ikeda
  Biotechnology Instructor
  San Mateo County Regional Occupational Program
  (jikeda@smuhsd.org)
  
  
• Jimmy arranges student interns interviews, makes and monitors placements.

Partners in the Biotechnology Career Pathway include:
  

• SMUHSD Science Department Staff
• SM County Regional Occupational Program (ROP)
• Gene Connection
• Elan, Dublin. Ireland
• Cell Genesys, So. San Francisco, CA
• Bay Area Biotechnology Education Consortium (BABEC)
• VWR Scientific Products, Brisbane, CA
• Applied Biosystems, Inc., Foster City, CA
• Genencor International, Palo Alto, CA
• FibroGen, Inc., South San Francisco, CA
• Bio-Link, San Francisco, CA
• CS Bio, San Carlos, CA
• Gilead Sciences, Foster City, CA
• NEKTAR, San Carlos, CA
• Mendel Biotechnology, Hayward, CA
• Sargent-Welch, Buffalo Grove, IL
• Biotechnology Institute, Arlington, VA
• Nuvelo, San Carlos, CA
• Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA
• International Immuno Diagnostics, Foster City, CA
• Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ
• Pacific Fertility Center, San Francisco, CA
• Y's Therapeutics, Burlingame, CA
• Exelixis, So. San Francisco, CA
• Life Scan/J&J, Silicon Valley, CA
• SCCBEP, Santa Clara County, CA
• Nalgene
• Corning Life Sciences

Role of Industry Mentors

• We have had Industry mentors from all of the following departments.
  • Research and Development
  • Quality Control
  • Quality Assurance
  • Fermentation
  • Manufacturing
  • Assay Services
  • High Throughput Screening and more..
    
    
• Our Mentors have a wide background of experience. Some are:
  • Scientists
  • Research Associates
  • Research Assistants
  • Lab Technicians

Anatomy of a Mentor-Intern Relationship

The objective of a ROP Intern-Mentor Partnership is to provide a positive experience for both the adult mentor and the student intern.

An internship is defined as an extended, laboratory experience in which student interns improve their technical skills while learning the dynamics of a biotechnology research facility. Interns should become productive for their mentor.

ROP internships require students to spend a minimum of 120 hours in the workplace. Those hours are arranged between the mentor and the intern but should average approximately 10 hours per week during the spring term and 20 hours per week during the summer term.

• Mentor Responsibilities
  • Compose a short internship job description and a short personal statement. (See example)
  • Email the internship description to Jimmy at jikeda@smuhsd.org, 2 weeks prior to interview week.
  • Interview 3 students who hoped to be placed in their internship. 30 min. interviews are conducted on one day, at the industry site, in mid-June.
  • Rank interviewed interns in order of preference for placement into the lab.
  • Provide (either directly or indirectly) meaningful workplace experience for the student intern.
  • Complete a student evaluation once a month. Document weekly timesheets.
  • Relay concerns about intern performance to either the student, the ROP Instructor, or both.
    
    
• Intern Responsibilities
  • Come prepared and on time to all interview and workplace experiences.
  • Communicate any conflicts in schedule or problems in the workplace with both their mentor and the ROP instructor.
  • Follow all safety rules, proprietary rules, and workplace etiquette.
  • Maintain accurate records, and a legal scientific notebook as necessary.
  • Read, listen, think about how and what is being done in the lab. Ask clarifying questions.
  • Complete internship projects to the satisfaction of the mentor.

Questions, Comments, Concerns, Donations may be directed to:

Ellyn Daugherty
Biotechnology Educator, San Mateo High School, Retired
Author, Biotechnology: Science for The New Millennium, 2012
650-400-9424
ellyn@bioteched.com
www.BiotechEd.com

James (Jimmy) Ikeda jikeda@smuhsd.org For inforamation about Biotech at San Mateo High, contact Mr Ikeda.

Marvin Gin
mgin@smuhsd.org