EL PASO, TX – March 25, 2021 –The Medical Center of the Americas Foundation’s (MCA) Workforce initiative has released the MCA STEM Innovation Lab Workbook. The MCA STEM Innovation Lab Workbook was published to engage students with STEM-related activities and concepts and help teachers and parents navigate remote learning in an innovative and exciting way. The workbook is intended to teach students STEM concepts and provide information on local career opportunities in the life science industry.

The STEM Innovation Lab Workbook is designed for middle school students, teachers, and parents. The workbook is composed of 13 chapters that describe different STEM concepts including chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, and coding. Each chapter includes hands-on experiments, supporting science objectives, and career statistics that link STEM curriculum to life science-related jobs in the region.

“This is a great resource for students, parents, and teachers to enhance the in-class or at-home curriculum,” said Vianey Romo, Workforce Coordinator at the MCA. “This workbook takes a deep dive into the life sciences industry, one of the fastest-growing industries in our region and in the nation. Students will be able to have the same resources and information as they would if we were meeting with them in person at our STEM Camps. We are excited to see the impact the workbook will have on student awareness of the life science industry and their potential future careers in our region.”

The MCA STEM Innovation Lab initiative was first launched in late 2019 and has since hosted multiple regular STEM Innovation Lab Camps, one-day events where middle school students visit the MCA’s Cardwell Collaborative building and learn about the life sciences industry. This one-day event consists of guest lectures, career explorations, and hands-on science experiments at the Cardwell Collaborative’s state-of-the-art labs. Prior to COVID-19, the MCA STEM Innovation Lab hosted over 350 students from 9 schools and 4 school districts throughout the region. The STEM Innovation Lab has developed virtual programming and regularly presents to classrooms about the life science industry and the work the MCA does to grow and life science industry in the region.

The MCA and its partners intend to foster a biomedical regional workforce through its efforts to support the growing life sciences industry and workforce in the El Paso and Juarez region. For more information on the STEM Innovation Lab Workbook or to schedule a virtual classroom visit, please contact Vianey Romo at vianey@mcamericas.org.