New California School and Global Contest Nurture Bio-Tech Talent in Teens

Feeding the world, healing the world, fueling the world, and shielding the ecosystems of the world: To prepare students for challenging careers and post-secondary education in these fields, the Escondido Union High School District (EUHSD) in Escondido, California, has broken ground on the Del Lago Academy–Campus of Applied Science. The school is scheduled to open in fall 2013.

The high school, which will be open to all district residents, will be able to accommodate between 400 and 600 students who will take courses with a heavy focus on biotechnology and medical sciences.

“Combining strong academics, and demanding career and technical education with real-world experiences, Del Lago Academy will provide students with a unique, supportive environment in which to reach their personal and professional goals,” according to the school district.  

Planning for the facility started in November 2008, when Escondido voters passed Proposition T, a $98 million general obligation bond measure to fund critical capital improvements at Escondido’s two existing high school campuses and to build a new bio-tech high school.

Echo Pacific Construction, Inc. will manage the project. Efficiency upgrading, together with the usage of synthetic turf, recycled materials, and storm water reduction methods, will help the new facility to meet the standards of the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS). CHPS identifies schools that are educationally functional and environmentally sound.

In related news, the Washington, D.C.-based Biotechnology Institute has launched an annual International BioGENEius Challenge for high school students that recognizes outstanding research in biotechnology, with cash prizes totaling more than $20,000.

The challenge comprises ten U.S. National BioGENEius Challenge finalists, two Sanofi BioGENEius Challenge Canada finalists, and two Western Australia BioGENEius Challenge finalists.  Each finalist will compete in the International BioGENEius competition held in Boston, in June 2012, in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s Annual International Convention. Finalists will present their research poster and oral presentations to a panel of expert judges and display their projects to approximately 20,000 convention participants.  To find out more, visit the Biotechnology Institute website.