The WSSP is in its seventh year. The investigators initiated the WSSP to encourage research by high school students and to forge close ties between the scientific community and the schools. The Program jointly conceived, developed and conducted by a scientist and an educator, has worked with 34 schools, more than 322 students, and dozens of experienced and prospective teachers. WSSP has achieved a close partnership with administrators, teachers, and students from schools in urban and suburban districts in New Jersey. By engaging students and teachers directly in genuine scientific research, the investigators hope to infuse more of the spirit and vitality of science into high school classrooms. The long-range goal of the application is to disseminate the WSSP from the immediate environs of Rutgers to classrooms across the country and beyond. Focusing on a problem that takes advantage of the advancing Human Genome Project, the WSSP will use Internet-based tools and resources to support research in Molecular Biology by high school students and teachers throughout the nation. The specific objective of the application is to develop resources that will allow schools to participate in the WSSP at remote sites-anywhere there are Internet connections. Several resources will be developed during the project period. These are an Internet textbook, laboratory manual, research guide, Web-based tutorials and examinations, on-line technical help, and an on-line forum. The """"""""Beginners Bioinformation"""""""", """"""""Molecular Milestones,"""""""" """"""""Waksman Challenges,"""""""" and """"""""Rutgers Student Journal"""""""" will also be completed.
