I am a biology teacher at a new public school soon to be a charter. My students are intrigued about dissection and I would love to bring this experience to them in an authentic manner. We have several junior colleges in the city that I would like to partner with. I envision a a field experience to the anatomy division so students study the procedure. I would then like to have the equipment and materials to dissect worms, starfish, frogs and a mammalian eye. This experience broadens the scope of our curriculum which is largely molecular biology and does not capture student interest adequately. Students are asking for first hand experience with real life.
The partnership I am seeking will expand to a mentorship as I develop the biology curriculum from the ground. As our school adds a grade level every year, it will be important to have a professional coach as a "critical friend". It is my desire to build an exciting, captivating program for young biologists that is rigorous and inquiry- based. The dissection project will compliment the Growing Connections program-a partnership with the Food and Agricultural Organisation that I am bringing to our school in the spring, and a field experience to the Center for Green Technology in December.
I would like to implement the dissection partnership as early as January 2010 to kick off our second semester.
Our school is a unique partnership with labor organisations and Johns Hopkins University and City Year, an Americorps program. Our class sizes are small and we operate on a block schedule. Thus there is flexibility and room for innovative teaching and learning.

Aoko Hope
Biology Teacher
Chicago Talent Development High School(CTDHS)