Frequently Asked Questions about the Seminar Series for High School Teachers

Q. What is involved in participating in the Seminar Series for High School Teachers?

The series is held one Monday a month from October through June in McGovern Auditorium at the Whitehead Institute. Each session starts at 4 pm with a lecture on a selected topic by a leading scientist in the field. The session ends around 6:00 pm after a dinner during which teachers get a chance to informally interact with each other and Whitehead scientists. The schedule for the academic year is given to you in the beginning of September, so you can plan ahead and make necessary arrangements.

Q. What is a Whitehead Partner?

Each teacher is assigned a Whitehead partner—a young, enthusiastic scientist who will attend each session with you and serve as a resource to you throughout the school year. In the past, Whitehead Partners have visited their teachers' classrooms to lead labs, give talks on career opportunities in science, or do a presentation on their research. Whitehead Partners have also hosted class visits to the Institute, providing students a glimpse into a working laboratory.

Q. Who can register for the Seminar Series?

Any high school teacher can register for the Seminar Series. However, space is limited so registrants must apply early. To participate, teachers must commit to attending as many sessions as possible. Teachers who miss more than two sessions will be dropped from the program.

Q. How many teachers participate in the program?

So far up to 90 teachers have attended the program each year, but that number is growing.

Q. What if I can't make a session?

When registering for the program, teachers make the commitment to miss no more than two sessions of the series. Naturally we understand that there will occasionally be conflicts. When you will be unable to attend a session, it is very important to let us know in advance so we can plan for an accurate attendance. We rely on your input when planning dinner, and your Whitehead Partner counts on you being at the session unless he or she hears otherwise.

If you have any other questions, contact Amy Tremblay.

Amy Tremblay
Public Programs Officer
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Five Cambridge Center
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
617.258.7270
tremblay@wi.mit.edu

Last updated August 7, 2006.