The Institute serves to update and expand the knowledge of high school and middle school teachers in the field of modern biology. Summer program participants in the Institute gain hands-on experience with lab exercises suitable for use in their classrooms, offering training the teachers may not receive otherwise. The Institute also provides teachers with resources for implementing the lab exercises in their classrooms. Finally, the Institute affords participants the opportunity to network with Cornell biologists and other high school biology teachers. Not only is this teacher training crucial to the effectiveness of the K-12 learning environment, but business and university resources are tapped to provide necessary equipment for the high school classrooms of participating teachers.
Participants receive a computer, printer, and modem on long-term loan.
With the modem, teachers have the ability to communicate with Institute faculty and each other via e-mail throughout the year. The Success Bridge Program. The program, a special collaboration between BMCC and New York City public schools, takes a small step in acclimating high school students to the rigors of college-level work. The program is also designed to give students an opportunity to explore the college environment, allowing them to gain confidence in their abilities as well as develop a keen interest in attending college. High school juniors and seniors have the unique opportunity to experience college classes and to have access to the recreational and cultural activities in the campus community.