Teacher Training (ELLS)About ELLS

ELLS is a science education facility that brings secondary-school teachers in contact with EMBL's scientific environment, fostering mutual exchange between European high school teachers and research scientists.

The European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an education facility which has been created to bring secondary school teachers into the research lab for a unique hands-on encounter with state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques and to give scientists a chance to work with teachers, helping to bridge the widening gap between research and schools. ELLS is based at the main laboratory in Heidelberg, with team members located at the EMBL Outstation in Monterotondo.

ELLS primary activity are its 3-day training courses for teachers called LearningLABs. These practical courses, which combine cutting-edge science with simpler activities easily transferable to the classroom, are open to small international groups of teachers. LearningLAB topics range from the study of single molecules to organism development, bioinformatics and evolution. They include science and society aspects, covering controversial issues such as genetic testing and stem cell research. Teachers also get the chance to perform simpler activities and educational games which are transferable to the classroom.

The facility welcomes external scientists to work with the ELLS' science education officers and teachers in developing new teaching material, and to learn how to implement similar programmes at their own institutions.

ELLS coordinates two externally funded projects: an EU-funded programme SET-Routes to mobilise more girls and women into SET, and iNEXT – interaktives Netzwerk für experimentelles Training, funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation, Germany.