BioEthics In Action: Initiatives

Initiatives

Teacher Training Institutes
Community Discussion Groups
Research
Product Development

BEIA provides workshops in teacher training that promote awareness through education for secondary education teachers and their students. Each Teacher Training Institute (TTI) is designed to train 20 teachers and introduce bioethics into formal education.

BEIA's initial TTI, "Biotechnology and the Design of Human Life: Future Hopes and Challenges, was piloted in June of 2004. The program was developed for secondary teachers from humanities and sciences. Teachers learned about the ethical issues related to biotechnology and about unique curriculum-based approaches to exploring these issues with their students. During the institute, teachers examined three bioethics challenges: extending human life; enhancing human performance and capacity; and modifying moods and social behavior.

Taught by national experts in integrated studies and bioethics issues, the TTI draws on material from classical and modern literature, film, the National Science Foundation and the President's Council on Bioethics, among other sources.

Through the TTI, teacher teams receive practical training in techniques to investigate specific bioethical challenges and develop curricular models for use in their classrooms. Following the program, teachers are invited to participate in an ongoing peer network to further develop curricula and teaching techniques as well as to exchange best practices.

Community Discussion Groups

BEIA plans (2005-6) to create a Community Discussion Group Action Network to support its goal of increasing public awareness and citizen involvement in the bioethics dialogue, encouraging public scrutiny of biotechnology research and development. The action network also provides TTI participants with an avenue to remain involved with BEIA and have access to an additional source of bioethics curricula and community involvement. Some TTI participants may even be candidates for discussion group leaders in their respective communities. This initiative has the capacity to begin hundreds of discussion groups during the first two years of the program.

BEIA also has web-based guides and support materials for discussion group leaders and participants in development, slated for a fall 2005 rollout.

BEIA discussion groups may be comprised of members of the general public and include self-selection into groups organized around specific disciplines (e.g., scientists, teachers, journalists and lawyers).

Research

BEIA's development plans include active programs promoting research, studies and/or surveys on bioethics issues. Currently planned research areas include:

Involvement of lay people on Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)
New approaches to biotechnology patenting
Role of tort law in creating a financial structure to protect the untended effects of biotechnology product and service implementation
History of unintended consequences and their impact, both positive and negative

Product Development

BEIA current stratgic plan calls for prodution of publications and multi-media products to support our Teacher Training Institutes, Community Discussion Groups and other communication efforts. These include:

Case studies
Material development - both print and web-based
Video documentary - a stand-alone product designed to give bioethics a human face and to stimulate interest in contemporary issues such as performance enhancement through medication and/or genetic manipulation, design of life through refinements in assisted reproduction, and how choices define the value of human life.