For any student that loves science classes, science clubs, science lectures, or just science in general, the BTI pathway may be the way to go. Starting in sophomore year and ending senior year, the BioTechnology Institute or BTI- offers students with a passion for science a new pathway for his or her high school career.
“BTI is known as a leader in science education in California, and our students who choose to major in the sciences will be at an advantage when they go off to college,” said Susan Gold, an English teacher for the BTI program.
The students, as well as the teachers, also enjoy BTI.
“The BTI program has been really great so far. We had a symposium last month that allowed us to meet a lot of professionals from many different BTI related jobs,” said Amanda Morales, a sophomore in BTI.
There are differences between the English and history courses for students in the BTI program, as they tend to focus more on the scientific aspect.
The English classes read different books that are more related to science.
“Unlike traditional English classes, BTI English classes are science-themed. The curriculum includes books and articles that would appeal to science-minded students,” said Gold.
The history classes for BTI also differ from the normal high school course.
“There are a few differences between the way I teach regular history classes and the BTI history classes. I try to integrate topics about science. This includes issues related to food sources, germs and disease, and new discoveries when I can,” said Linda Garvey, a BTI history teacher.
While there are differences between regular classes and BTI classes, there are some similarities as well.
“The BTI English classes meet common core standards like all college prep classes on campus. We read novels, short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. We also write informal, argumentative, and narrative essays.” said Gold.
More information on the different courses offered in BTI can be found here.
BTI also has smaller classes than normal, due to the program only allowing 50 students each year. Due to the fact that many students have similar classes with each other, it creates a small BTI community on campus.
“I like the fact that we are all together and we have most of the same classes together. We can connect to other topics we are learning in other classes. It bonds us and we get to feel more comfortable with each other,” said Paris Sunkel, a sophomore in BTI.
Sunkel also had advice for any freshman who is on the fence about joining the BTI program for the 2018-2019 year, “Don’t listen to what others may say about the program, whether they say it is bad or too easy because it is neither. It is fun and exciting if you are passionate about science or even if you just prefer science over other subjects. I would recommend trying out BTI, even if it doesn’t really sound like your thing. You never know, it may open up different paths for you to explore.”
For any freshmen considering the BTI pathway, the 2018-2019 signups have not yet been posted, but they will be on the Carlmont BTI webpage soon.
