About Us
HHMI BioInteractive brings the power of real science stories into tens of thousands of high school and undergraduate life science classrooms through free classroom resources and professional development.
Who We Are
BioInteractive is a leading provider of free classroom resources and professional development for high school and undergraduate biology educators. We aim to connect students to big ideas in biology, promote engagement through the science practices, and instill awe and wonder about the natural world in order to transform science education into a creative, interdisciplinary endeavor that reflects the excitement of real research.
We are part of the Science and Educational Media Group within the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), an independent science philanthropy that invests in individuals, institutions, initiatives, and media to advance both human health and our fundamental understanding of biology.
Learn more about HHMI’s work and mission.
Our Classroom Resources
BioInteractive resources reflect current knowledge of how students learn and use evidence-based strategies for supporting equitable access to science. We offer story-driven videos featuring real scientists doing real research, and interactive media and activities using data from peer-reviewed sources. Developed by experienced educators, our phenomena-driven resources foster engagement through student-centered learning. We also offer a growing collection of resources available in Spanish.
Explore our free resources.
Our Professional Development
We provide free in-person and online professional development for educators to deepen their scientific knowledge and pedagogical expertise. We offer professional development both directly from BioInteractive and through partnerships with school systems and other collaborators.
Our workshops and courses are designed and facilitated by expert educators and emphasize access to science education for all students. Our approach incorporates research-supported teaching strategies in combination with BioInteractive resources that promote inclusive learning environments and actively engage students through science practices. Our professional development programs are developed with our Ambassador Community, a group of expert science educators in the United States and Canada, and Puerto Rico and Mexico, who are committed to advancing our shared mission and values.
Join us at an upcoming workshop or participate in an asynchronous course.
Our Work with Partners
We work with a variety of partner organizations, including science education resource developers, educational institutions, professional associations, and school systems in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Learn more about our current collaborations:
Crash Course
BioInteractive is working with Crash Course, a popular YouTube education channel, to develop a new biology video series launching in 2023 that will cover major topics in introductory and advanced high school courses. The series will include fifty videos, each in both English and Spanish, that feature stories of scientists, awe-inspiring case studies, and science literacy skills applicable to learners’ day-to-day lives. Learners will explore how all life is interconnected, discover that researching biology is an ongoing and collaborative process, and gain new frameworks for thinking about biology in the context of their own lives.
School System Partnerships
BioInteractive partners with many large US school systems to provide free professional development tailored to district priorities and needs. For example, since 2018, we’ve collaborated with the School District of Philadelphia, which serves more than 200,000 students, as they transition to three-dimensional learning standards based on the National Research Council’s A Framework for K-12 Science Education. As part of this work, we’ve offered both in-person and online professional development on incorporating the science practices, developing meaningful assessments, improving students’ science literacy, implementing phenomena-driven instruction, and more — all at no cost to the district.
Find out more about our team and the work that we do.
Science Storytelling at HHMI
HHMI firmly believes that inspiration, curiosity, and love of the natural world should be nurtured both inside and outside of the classroom. Our Tangled Bank Studios team works with world-class filmmakers to bring feature documentaries to general audiences. HHMI also partners with journalism organizations such as the Associated Press (AP) and The Atlantic to expand science journalism and to help educators infuse current events into science teaching.
Learn more about Tangled Bank Studios’ current projects.
Our Commitment to Continuous Learning
BioInteractive conducts in-depth evaluations to help inform our resources and services, and to understand our impact. We prioritize feedback from educators and their students to shape our resources and professional development.
We also support research that helps build knowledge in priority areas such as student science identity and curiosity, multilingual learners, equitable student assessments, and science literacy.
Come find out what we’re working on. Contact us or subscribe to our newsletter.
