Teaching the Genome Generation ™ is a platform for teachers and schools to enhance their genetics and genomics instruction through partnership with The Jackson Laboratory's Genomic Education department and the NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA).
Teaching the Genome Generation (TtGG) is designed to provide high school teachers the content knowledge, teaching strategies, and resources needed to enhance student learning in genetics, genomics, and personalized medicine. In TtGG™, students conduct classroom experiments, collect and analyze real data, and discuss the ethical complexities at the intersection of human genomics, research and medicine.
The TtGG curriculum is divided into three major themes, which should be taught in an integrated fashion, rather than isolated units. These include:
the computational methods utilized in analyzing DNA, RNA or amino acid sequences, and
the ethics involved in genetic testing and genetics research (JAX is pleased to be a long time collaboration partner with Personal Genetics Education & Dialogue).
Through collaboration with TtGG™, teachers will have the opportunity to develop lessons designed for their unique school environment and resources. The TtGG™ curriculum is highly adaptive- teachers can introduce modern genetics lessons in introductory biology, Honors, electives, and AP courses. TtGG™ favors interdisciplinary modes of teaching including connections to computer science, social sciences, and health.
Support is provided to TtGG-trained educators by Genomics Educators at JAX as well as a community of TtGG™ alumni and other experts who can provide guidance and mentoring.
The TtGG™ professional development course has trained hundreds of educators across New England. We are planning a new professional development schedule and will release more information at a future date.
To date, the TtGG™ program has trained 320 teachers and has reached more than 31,000 students. During the 2024-2025 academic year, TtGG™ was implemented in 64 different schools, reaching 3,935 students. Thirty (47%) of these schools are designated as Title I (under-resourced).
Most of the schools served are in Maine and Connecticut, although JAX has a network of trained teachers that spans all New England states. In Maine, TtGG™ is present in 94 schools across all 16 counties, and 55% of these schools are designated Title 1 institutions. In Connecticut, TtGG has trained teachers at 95 schools in all 8 counties, and 55% are designated as Title 1.
The TtGG™ curriculum reaches students ranging from high school freshman in introductory biology classes to high school seniors in AP and advanced electives, and everything in between.
Read more about our program’s 10 year anniversary, as well as our first hub in Memphis, TN.
Want to peruse TtGG™ lessons and content on your own? Visit our Genetics and Genomics Learning Resources page that includes all genetics and genomics curricula developed by our JAX Genomic Education team.
Through our grant and gift funding, JAX is able to provide loaner lab kits to teachers in Maine and Connecticut who have participated in our TtGG™ professional development program. These kits include all lab equipment, consumable lab materials, such as pipette tips and sample tubes, and reagents (enzymes, buffers, primers, etc.) required to complete the laboratory portion of the TtGG curriculum with your students. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
This project is supported by the NIH/National Institute of General Medical Sciences.
The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. TtGG™ is also supported by New England Biolabs and an anonymous gift. Prior support for TtGG™ has also come from the Petit Family Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and Jane’s Trust.
Questions? The TtGG staff is always happy to talk to anyone interested in our program. Contact program staff at [email protected].
