After Meiri saw the effect of the mentoring program on these Boston Latin School students, she was driven to bring real-world experiences to the high school science classroom, where more students could benefit.

The Great Diseases curriculum also promotes a larger, long-term goal of drawing more young people into the field of biotechnology and biomedical careers. According to Pam Pelletier, senior program director for science at Boston Public Schools, Massachusetts could benefit from an in-state pipeline of motivated and well-trained young scientists. "With The Great Diseases curriculum, our highly skilled and committed teachers will have the resources to connect students with science that matters to their lives, which we hope will translate into more students pursuing careers in the sciences," said Pelletier.

Jeff Goodman, a science teacher at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School said, "The Great Diseases curriculum will provide teachers with a way to hook the interest of our students and expose them to the wealth of opportunities within the field of science."

Tufts partners on the project include the School of Medicine, the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Wright Center for Innovation in Science Education.

Source: Tufts University, Health Sciences