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The 20th anniversary celebration of the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative held at UMass Chan Medical School on April 28 was a joyous reunion for educators, community leaders and many of the students and alums who have benefited from participating in the educational partnership between UMMS and the Worcester Public Schools.
“Public education is most transformative when its possibilities—rather than its challenges—are the focus of our attention,” columnist Clive McFarlane wrote in the April 29 issue of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. “It is a philosophy affirmed by a 20-year-old Worcester collaborative that works to increase the number of students from under-represented groups and disadvantaged backgrounds entering careers in medicine.”
In 1996, UMass Chan Medical School’s Deborah Harmon-Hines, PhD, launched the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative in partnership with the Worcester Public Schools to encourage under-represented and economically disadvantaged students to pursue careers in biomedical research, biotechnology and health care professions. That same year, Dr. Harmon-Hines, professor of cell & developmental biology and vice provost for school services, hired Robert Layne, MEd, as program director, a position he has held ever since.
Each year approximately 5,000 Worcester Public Schools students participate in numerous program opportunities including mentoring, job-shadowing, tutoring, clinical observation, research internships, after-school science programs, visiting scientist programs, a speaker's bureau and family engagement.
“We encourage students to set high expectations for themselves as they participate in rigorous mathematics and science curricula, and develop language skills required to enter college,” Layne said.
Harmon-Hines and Layne presided over the evening’s program, in which Worcester public school educators recalled the history of the Worcester Pipeline Collaborative and Layne reflected on its successes.
Related links on UMass Chan News:
Worcester Pipeline Collaborative celebrating 20 years
Harmon Hines named recipient of Bruce Alberts Award for Excellence in Science Education
UMass Chan Medical School recognized for preparing youth for jobs
Hello, my name is . . . Robert E. Layne
