As most summer camps and educational opportunities have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is helping students, educators and the public continue learning with online opportunities. 

“Once we made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person summer activities, our Educational Outreach team quickly went to work developing an exciting schedule of virtual programs and experiences,” said Dr. Neil Lamb, vice president of Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha. “Activities are available, and registration is underway, for a diverse offering of enriching, engaging and fun programs.”

Middle school students

Starting June 8, HudsonAlpha is offering Science Shorts: Summer Adventures, free online activities and experiments to try at home. Science Shorts is a series of fun, independent adventures geared towards middle school-aged kids, but available to all ages. There will be a new topic posted each week, from curdling milk to exploring outside as a backyard biologist. Visit www.flipgrid.com/scienceshortssa for access.

Young professionals

HudsonAlpha will offer a new, free online professional development seminar series beginning on June 8. The BioTrain Professional Development Seminar Series will cover topics including professional etiquette, career advice (resumes and interview skills), ethics and more. The sessions hosted by HudsonAlpha’s Educational Outreach team are designed for college students, but open to anyone interested in a science career or looking for professional advice. Visit www.hudsonalpha.org/biotrain to register and learn more.

In addition, HudsonAlpha Spark, a program for busy professionals, has moved online. Join the Spark community at www.hudsonalpha.org/spark to receive updates and information on upcoming sessions of Genomics and Java and Science After Hours. 

Educators

Teachers have a unique opportunity to continue professional learning with HudsonAlpha this summer. HudsonAlpha Beacon is a program to help educators find life science content from a distance.

These virtual opportunities provide ways to explore and interact with genetics, biotechnology, and the wider world of science. Experiences will include multi-day online workshops that combine synchronous and asynchronous learning, opportunities to tune in to researcher talks, and webinar-style training on newly-developed resources. More information and registration at www.hudsonalpha.org/beacon.

Public outreach

Life-long learners also have a unique place at HudsonAlpha this summer. Dr. Neil Lamb, PhD, Vice President for Educational Outreach, continues to break down difficult science topics for the public through his popular blog and video series. View all of the new and past content at www.shareablescience.org.

Summer is a great time to continue learning, and HudsonAlpha continues to offer opportunities and engaging activities to bring life science content to all learners. For more great summer resources and activities, like and follow HudsonAlpha on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instagram, Vimeo and Youtube.