The Department of Biology has several programs that spread knowledge and appreciation of the natural world to the the public.
The Department of Biology's Botany Greenhouse and Medicinal Herb Garden provide public tours year round. More than 2,500 K-12 students visit the Greenhouse and Medicinal Herb Garden each year! The Biology graduate students who lead the tours discuss the adaptations, mutualisms, and diversity found within the plant world. As well as imparting their excitement of the natural world to children and adults alike, Biology graduate students promote the necessity of research in discovering new species and their remarkable natural histories and the importance of conservation in preserving biological diversity in nature.
The Department of Biology is home to two life science programs for middle-school teachers, both funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Quarterly Institute for Life Sciences (QuILS) is a quarter long program and The Summer Institute for Life Sciences (SILS) is an intensive four-week course during the summer. Both programs are designed to familiarize teachers with the hands-on learning techniques essential to teaching life sciences. K-12 teachers and other science educators also have year-round access to the Ingrith Deyrup-Olsen Biology Teacher's Resource Center, which offers a wide variety of materials helpful to those teaching life sciences.
The Department of Biology works in collaboration with colleagues in other UW departments as well as at other institutions. These intellectual partnerships enhance research capabilities and provide important opportunities for Biology undergraduates. Many institutions, including the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, several local biotechnology and biomedical institutions, and many local environmental organizations, sponsor internships for Biology undergraduates.