The Biology and Excellence for Science Teachers (BEST) program is an expansion of a NSF -PSFMETE funded program, Engaging Students in Ecological Research, a pilot program that was launched in Summer 2000 by Dr. Lidia Yoshida. The BEST program is a teacher development program designed to improve the biological science curriculum in urban underrepresented schools. The goals are to improve science teachers' knowledge-base and update them in content, techniques and issues in science, to train teachers in the use of computers to prepare lessons for their classes and to further facilitate communication between science teachers within Los Angeles and Orange County through the Internet and ongoing science educational program activities. Workshops will be offered during the academic year with lectures and inquiry-based laboratories topics such as genetics, molecular biology, ecology, evolution and techniques in investigation and experimentation to high school and intermediate school teachers. Teachers will develop interactive lessons with laptop computers in the laboratory and will the have the opportunity to borrow the computers and LCD projectors for use in their classrooms. These lessons will be made available on-line where a website will be maintained for participants to share program information, resources and laboratory activities.