PLANTGIFT: AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER WORKSHOP MODEL FOR INCREASING PLANT-BASED LABORATORY EXPERIENCES IN SECONDARY SCIENCE CLASSROOMS.

PlantGIFT (Plant Genomics Internships for Teachers) is a weeklong teacher professional development workshop designed to enhance the understanding and utilization of plant-based science in secondary science classrooms. The program establishes an active partnership between teachers and plant genetics researchers, aiming to translate cutting-edge research into a classroom learning experience. The major themes covered in PlantGIFT are genetic mutations, microbiomes through endophytes, drought tolerance, and GMOs. Pre- and post-surveys were used to assess program effectiveness, teacher self-efficacy, and increased awareness of plant awareness disparity. The findings indicated that participants found the workshop enjoyable and reported improvements in their content knowledge and confidence regardless of their baseline knowledge of plant genetics. A post-workshop survey indicated that a majority of respondents incorporated workshop materials into their classroom curricula and found it beneficial for their students. This paper shares an outline of workshop activities, lessons learned, and recommendations for practice and future research.