Difference between revisions of "Team:Virginia/Public Education"

We hosted a Building with Biology event in collaboration with Charlottesville Open Bio Labs. Build with Biology is an organization that promotes public education about synthetic biology. To accomplish this, events are hosted in which participants of all ages can familiarize themselves with core synthetic biology concepts through exciting activities and colorful analogies. Participants rotate between various stations that focus on specific concepts. Younger participants are entertained with educational games while older participants can engage in discussions with professional scientists. Along with the suggested activities provided by Building with Biology, we designed our own stations to specifically address biological containment concepts. We also created a brief powerpoint with interesting illustrations to engage participants in brainstorming potential applications for synthetic biology and biological containment. The majority of participants were highly engaged and seemed to benefit from the experience. The building with biology event was a great opportunity to discuss our passion with the public. We also had the opportunity to gauge public knowledge surrounding synthetic biology through organic conversation. The event allowed us to educate both the public and ourselves - we learned about the concerns that permeate public opinion on synthetic biology and what changes should be made to improve public receptivity to this burgeoning field.