MOBIO's "Discover Your Talent" Initiative
Discover Your Talent. Missouri's biotechnology community is launching a series of statewide outreach endeavors to inspire the next generation of Missouri scholars to consider careers in the life sciences. The membership of MOBIO has developed this unique program, Discover Your Talent, as an innovative portal for advancing bioscience education.
This initiative provides:
• Information on educational resources regarding scholarships, financial aid, and internships in order to pursue life sciences career pathways;
• Curriculum modules related to biotechnology; and,
• Hands-on experiments and interactive activities.
The program is anchored through the use of a 38-foot Mobile Biotech Learning Center, providing flexibility to take programming into schools, county fairs and festivals across the state. MOBIO is also utilizing portable laboratories to empower selected high school programs with bio experiments and curriculum.
MOBIO is proud to partner with SCOPE Missouri, the Missouri Technology Corporation, St Louis Community College, the Western Institute, the Missouri Career Centers, and all of MOBIO's members in order to reach out to even more underserved communities, both urban and rural.
This outreach builds acceptance and awareness of biotechnology, and deepens citizen understanding of Missouri's biotech employers. In addition, MOBIO is reaching out to civic and community leaders to broaden awareness that Missouri boasts individual researchers and biotech executives from a world-class talent pool.
The Discover Your Talent project will help cultivate and expand the biotech workforce needed to fill the available jobs at all levels of the employment spectrum, which will be critically important as biotech companies further develop across Missouri.
The MOBIO trailer was prominently featured in the Science Outreach efforts at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia on August 14, August 19, August 21.
U.S. Senator Kit Bond visits the MOBIO trailer at the State Fair and interacts with SCOPE outreach coordinators Danielle Lee and Jake Goodman.
The trailer has made numerous visits so far this summer, including:
BIO International Convention, Chicago;
Salute To America Celebration: Fourth of July, Jefferson City;
Warren County Fair, Warrenton;
Johnson County Fair, Warrensburg;
Carroll County Fair, Carrollton;
Show Me State Games, Columbia;
Montgomery County Fair, Montgomery City;
St. Francois County Fair, Farmington;
St. Charles County Fair, St. Charles;
Ozark Empire Fair, Springfield;
Missouri State Fair, Sedalia;
STEM Summit by DESE, Jefferson City;
Polk County Picnic, Bolivar;
Biotech Day at the Cardinal's Ballpark, St. Louis; and,
Madison County Fair, Fredericktown.
This is a new program and its success is highly dependent on the level of involvement of our membership. MOBIO asks for your participation in developing the messaging, activities, and special events representation on behalf of our industry. If you have involvement opportunities or wish to volunteer to staff the trailer, please contact MOBIO at (573) 761-7600.
