• Outreach
• Curriculum Enrichment
  • Curriculum Downloads
  • Partnering Schools
• IRRI Rice Production Course
• Summer Internships
  • Activities
• High School Labs

Outreach

We believe our research efforts in exploring the rice genome are, and will continue to be, very important to all people, be they scientists, farmers, or the general public. Therefore, we are committed to sharing the fruits of our research with as many people as we can, in as many ways as we can. We strive to use various media—video, hands-on activities, international experiences, applied case studies, Web quests, and wikibooks—to  facilitate the understanding and  communication of our work.

At the moment, our efforts are focused on:

1. Curriculum Enrichment: We are working with three urban middle schools in New York City to create and enhance curriculum with projects centered on the importance of plants.  Activities focus on exploring the connections between rice and West Africa through the people, cuisine, plants, environments and farming techniques. The course materials--produced in partnership with sixth and seventh grade teachers--integrate science and social studies, while addressing state and national standards. (PHOTO: from NYC schools)
2. International Field Course: In a three-week field course in Los Baños, Philippines, undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdocs and young professionals participate in all aspects of traditional rice production and affiliated research—from transplanting in paddies to making controlled crosses. Our objective is to create a new generation of plant scientists that understand the importance of addressing global problems in agriculture, energy and the environment. (PHOTO: David Krause with water buffalo, from participants page 4.2.6)
3. Summer Internships: For eight weeks each summer, three high school and undergraduate summer interns work on rice genetics in the McCouch lab. They use state-of-the-art techniques to help advance ongoing research projects with activities tailored to the interests and abilities of each student. (PHOTO: Eli Earle from 2006 internship page http://www.ricehapmap.org/internships.aspx?O=2006)
4. High School Labs: (PHOTO: students pipetting) Every year, Dr. McCouch and a team of students and postdocs spend two weeks in regional high schools conducting a series of hands-on laboratories based on plant genetics and molecular biology. These labs reinforce the mandated NY State Biology Curriculum and give students exposure to “real-world” research questions and techniques.