Our mission:
To increase public awareness about personal genetics, particularly the ethical, legal and social implications (often referred to as “ELSI”) around personal genome sequencing.
Core values: personal choice & respect for others
pgEd promotes respectful dialog, informed decision-making, and scientific accuracy. We encourage people to explore the benefits and risks of knowing more about their genetic make-up.
What we do:
Education through schools
We develop and share – free of charge – high quality and scientifically precise lesson plans related to personal genetics. We also offer professional development workshops that train teachers to integrate these materials into their classrooms. For teachers seeking information or support in using our materials, please contact Lauren Tomaselli at ltomaselli@pged.med.harvard.edu.
Outreach
The curricular materials and additional resources on our website provide educational information for people interested in learning about personal genetics. Our outreach efforts include speaking at conferences, giving lectures and workshops, and visiting high school and college classrooms in person, as well as via videoconferencing. For more information on requesting a visit, please email Dana Waring at dwaring@pged.med.harvard.edu.
Collaboration
pgEd supports new initiatives for accelerating public awareness about personal genetics. We serve on the education advisory board for the upcoming exhibit on genomics at the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History. pgEd is working with Hollywood, Health & Society at the University of Southern California to advance awareness of personal genetics through television. We organize an annual conference, called GETed, for bringing genetics educators together to generate ideas, foster collaboration, and expand the use of existing resources. If you are interested to participate in the next GETed or collaborate with pgEd, please contact Marnie Gelbart at mgelbart@pged.med.harvard.edu.
Recently launched…
In March, 2013, pgEd launched the Map-Ed game to infuse a viral energy into personal genetics education. Go to Map-Ed.org to work you way through a short quiz on key concepts in genetics (no expertise needed!) and pin yourself on our map of the world. Click here to check out the interactive map and stay tuned for new questions and translations.
photo by Kim Piotrowski, www.kipi.etsy.com