The Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) at North Carolina State University is one of six organizations to be awarded funding from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) to host a workshop for K-12 STEM educators in Summer 2026. The NIIMBL eXperience for Educators goal is to strengthen the industry’s talent pipelines by providing educators with knowledge and tools to share with their students.

During BTEC’s two-day workshop, 15 selected educators will receive training at BTEC’s state-of-the-art facility on NC State’s Centennial Campus and gain direct industry exposure through a local pharmaceutical manufacturing facility tour and career panel. The program’s hands-on upstream and downstream bioprocessing activities will be directly transferable to the classroom; participants will receive fully stocked kits designed to align with state standards.  

“This program is designed to empower STEM educators to introduce the field of biomanufacturing to their student population, contributing to a larger workforce for the local, regional, and national industry” said Leslie Lewis, Assistant Director of Industry Programs and K-12 Outreach.

The workshop is tentatively scheduled to take place in early August 2026 with applications expected to open early to mid-February. All eligible NC educators are invited to apply, however, priority will be given to educators in counties with a significant biopharma presence, such as Wake, Durham, Johnston, Lee, Wilson, etc. Selected participants will receive a stipend, activity kits, lesson plans, and a certificate of participation will be issued upon successful completion of the workshop, eligible for 1.0 CEU.

About BTEC: NC State University’s Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC) has been a trusted provider of biomanufacturing education and hands-on training to university students and industry professionals since 2007. BTEC fuels the biomanufacturing industry by training the next generation of working professionals, hosting seminars and events, offering bioprocess services and more.

News Media Contact – Leslie Lewis, Assistant Director of Industry Programs, leslie_lewis@ncsu.edu.

This work will be performed under a Project Award Agreement from the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL) and financial assistance award 70NANB21H086 from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.