Massachusetts is the world’s leader in the field of biotechnology. No other place in the world has the mix of innovative companies, world-class hospitals and universities, and venture capital and investment that exists and thrives in our state. With that in mind we have developed three biotech challenges for K12 schools during Mass STEM Week.

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DEVELOPED BY

 
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ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Elementary schools learn about what diseases are and are then tasked with developing a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to educate their community about a particular disease and how people can work to treat or reduce that disease.

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MIDDLE SCHOOL

Middle schools begin by learning about how medicine is digested in the human body. They are then tasked with designing and packaging a pill to address a disease as well as a plan to encourage patients to remember to take their pills on a prescribed basis.

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HIGH SCHOOL

High schools are tasked with researching a genetic disease, coming up with a strategy to fight that disease and developing a business plan for creating a biotech company to bring their strategy to market.

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Each school will spend Mass STEM Week on their projects with a deadline to submit their projects to a panel of judges from Vertex, other biotech companies, hospitals, MIT/Harvard and venture capital firms by October 31.

Winners in a number of categories from each age group would be announced the week of November 5 with funding given to a select number of high school projects that will continue through the end of February 2019 when schools would present their more developed work to the same judges for the grand prize.


CHALLENGE TIMELINE

August 27 - School registration opens

September 24 -Rules and judging rubric announced

October 22 - Mass STEM Week begins, school start their projects

October 26 - Mass STEM Week ends

October 31 - Final projects are due at i2 Learning

November 9 -Winners are announced

February 15, 2019 - Final high school projects are due

March 1, 2019 - Final high school winners announced