As genetic technologies become more widespread, how can our society ensure that education about and access to this information is available to all people? How can we prepare students to make informed choices for themselves and for society?

This year, pgEd offers 2 interdisciplinary professional development workshops, where we will explore the various ways in which genetics impacts our lives. We will discuss the intersection of genetics with topics such as medicine, genome editing and CRISPR, law enforcement, and the American eugenics movement.

Genome editing is accelerating the pace of biological research and offers the potential to prevent and cure disease; create crops that are drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and more nutritious; and help us adapt to life on a warming planet. But it also raises concerns – especially in light of the history of eugenics. Eugenicists in the early 20th century sought to “improve” the human race through sterilization, immigration restriction and anti-miscegenation laws. Now that we are able to edit the human genome, how do we ensure this technology isn’t used as a new tool for eugenics? This workshop will focus on pgEd’s lessons related to the American eugenics movement and genome editing, including:

• Introduction to Personal Genetics
• Genetics, History and the American Eugenics Movement
• Using Primary Sources to Examine the History of Eugenics
• Genome Editing and CRISPR
• Birth of CRISPR-edited Twins
• Genome Editing and the Environment

Personal genetics can impact our lives in many ways. This workshop will explore societal implications of personal genetics from reproduction and human sexual development to ancestry testing and law enforcement. Lessons covered will include:

• Introduction to Personal Genetics
• How Does Ancestry Testing Work? Exploring Admixture Testing
• Sex, Genetics and Athletics
• DNA, Crime and Law Enforcement
• Reproductive Genetic Testing: Technology, Access and Decision Making