The Center for Inquiry Science recognizes that the partnerships it has developed are invaluable, most specifically, the school districts - teachers, students and administrators - that the Center for Inquiry Science has had opportunity to work with. This section provides an overview of the successes that these partnerships have achieved.
The origins of the Center for Inquiry Science emerged from the creation of the Department of Molecular Biotechnology (MBT) at the University of Washington in 1992 and its commitment to K-12 science education. In partnership, the Seattle Public Schools (SPS) and MBT applied for and received a National Science Foundation (NSF) local systemic change grant to support inquiry-based science training for all elementary teachers in Seattle's K-5 classrooms — The Partnership for Inquiry-based Science.
As the school district adopted highly optimized inquiry-based science curriculum (science kits) that were professionally developed by national experts with support from NSF, lead teachers in Seattle schools were trained in how to teach these materials and they in turn trained their colleagues during summer institutes. With support from The Boeing Company, MBT was able to recruit scientists to partner with the lead teachers to develop and teach content courses directly related to the adopted curriculum for all SPS K-5 teachers. These courses broadened the teachers' scientific knowledge in life sciences, earth sciences and physical sciences. At its conclusion, the program was serving more than 1100 teachers and approximately 23,000 students in Seattle's 72 elementary schools. The program, now embedded in SPS, is one of the most successful urban K-5 science programs in the country. For more information about the history and accomplishments of The Partnership for Inquiry-based Science please visit information about K-5.
A similar strategy was employed when MBT secured another NSF local systemic change grant to bring inquiry science to middle schools in Seattle and four adjacent school districts in the Puget Sound region — including Bellevue, Highline, Northshore and Shoreline. The middle school program, entitled Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnership, provided inquiry-based science training and support to 350 teachers who served approximately 20,000 students. The program was remarkably successful. For more information about the history and accomplishments of the Middle School Science Systemic Change Partnership please visit information on Middle School project.
With funds from NSF, the Family Science program was founded in 1995. With the mission to empower families to learn science together and to build community support for science learning, this program builds on and supplements the work of the above-mentioned systemic initiatives. The program has engaged K-8 schools, community centers, universities, and research institutes in engaging parents and other caregivers in their children´s science learning. Please visit the Celebrating Science website to learn more about lessons learned from this program.
In 2000 the independent, nonprofit, Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) was established. Continuing its commitment to K-12 education, ISB not only brought several faculty members from MBT, but also its education staff. The education group at ISB continued these programs while exploring new opportunities. Today this group is known as the Center for Inquiry Science.
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