As you may know, the Science Museum of Western Virginia and Virginia Tech have organized the first-ever state-wide Virginia Science Festival beginning Oct. 4, 2014, and concluding Oct. 11, 2014.   The Virginia Science Festival brings together the worlds of science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics so that thousands of families will come face-to-face with amazing research and technical achievements from Virginia’s educational, non-profit and for-profit institutions.

We are thrilled to announce that the Virginia BIO Foundation, a not for profit foundation created to connect bioscience companies with teachers and students to stimulate career interest in the biosciences (BioSTEM), is hosting a teachers only event on October 9, 2014 at locations throughout Virginia.  The event, which we have called BioTeach, is intended to provide an opportunity for K-12 science teachers from public and private schools to see how the bioscience industry puts science to work by creating products and services that improve human health.  See how our Virginia companies recreate human disease in the laboratory, discover new drugs, procures human tissue, and much more.  BioTeach has been organized through a collaboration with the Virginia BIO Foundation, the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia’s Director of STEM.

Each business will host a complimentary open house, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on October 9, during which it will serve food and drinks, present its science and lead tours of its operations in a fun and informal environment.  The tours will be followed by social networking and discussion of how businesses can further support efforts to educate our students and build interest in BioSTEM careers.

The following companies proudly open their doors to you:

Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services, 600 N. 5th St., Richmond VA 23219
Engineered BioPharmaceuticals, 300 Ringgold Industrial Parkway, Danville, VA 24540
HemoShear, 501 Locust Ave. Suite 301, Charlottesville, VA 22902
LifeNet Health, 1864 Concert Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23453
Novozymes Biologicals, 5400 Corporate Circle, Salem, VA 24153
TECHLAB, 2001 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060