Fall 2008 brought the news that the Bio-Bus Program will receive a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Central for Research Resources (NCRR), part of the National Institute of Health (NIH). The grant will enable us to explore teaching the basic concepts of DNA to lower elementary age students, using manipulatives and games. "Helping K-12 Students Become Fluent in the Language of DNA" will be piloted in the four K-5 schools in the City Schools of Decatur system.
General Information About the Bio-Bus Program
Click on arrow above to see an 8-minute video which answers these questions: What is the Bio-Bus Program? Why is it important? What should a teacher expect? Who does the program serve? The video ends with favorite memories. Filmed and edited by Chad Schone.
The Bio-Bus Program is a group of students and educators at Georgia State University who are 
committed to building a learning community that serves all Georgians. In support of this goal, in 1999 the University provided us with funds to build the first Bio-Bus: a 30-foot long, self-contained, mobile laboratory which can accommodate up to 15 students at a time. From 2001 to 2005, a pilot grant from the National Science Foundation allowed us to obtain a second Bio-Bus, as well as a van, and to expand our efforts to bring relevant, participatory, and - above all – FUN science presentations to Georgia’s students. We have developed a dynamic out-reach education program which brings science-related, hands-on lessons and experiments to classrooms in elementary, middle, and high schools, without charge. Our goal is not only to educate, but to also engender a sense of excitement about and enthusiasm for the various scientific disciplines. Inclusion in a Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2006 Undergraduate Science Education grant will help us to move in new directions.
Although we usually visit public and private schools, we have given our presentations for a number of community organizations. We welcome scheduling inquiries from any interested group or organization. We would like to be able to visit any and every institution or group who would have us, but practical considerations limit us to usually servicing those within about one hours driving distance from downtown Atlanta. We also place a priority on requests for presentations for students in grades four to twelve. If you are more than one hour away from downtown Atlanta, and/or your group does not meet our priority criteria then we encourage you to contact us anyway. We make every effort to reach out to as many people as possible.
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urrently, the Bio-Bus staff consists of approximately 15 undergraduate and graduate students operating under the direction of Professor Barbara Baumstark, PhD. Since the inception of the Bio-Bus Program at Georgia State University we have made over 1,200 visits to schools and community organizations located in 31 different counties. In the process, we have shared our activities with over 100,000 Georgians.
