Biotechnology & Health Sciences Academy (BHS)
The Biotechnology/Health Sciences Academy is designed to help students become: problem solvers, critical thinkers, self-directed learners, excellent communicators and effective team members. Assuring their success in a rigorous curriculum designed to prepare students for work or future study. The BHS Academy emphasizes team-based learning focused on relevant situations. Students gain skills necessary to perform duties in many biotechnical and health science settings.

The BHS Academy collaborates with the Department of Molecular Biology, Community College of Aurora and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, allowing CVHS to provide the most recent scientific knowledge to students and acquaint them with contemporary research techniques and tools.

The Biotechnology/Health Science Academy was created to meet interest demands of students and the labor needs of the community. Projections from the U.S. Department of Labor indicate that health care careers will experience the greatest growth in the next ten years. Biotechnology will also experience a high demand for qualified professionals as this science expands. It is the goal of Castle View High School to provide curriculum that will attract the interest of students in these professions and will prepare them for future and more in-depth courses, either at community colleges or at the university level.

Biotechnology Pathway This pathway provides three in-depth courses in biotechnology or the science of DNA. Students at the sophomore level will begin their study of Biotechnology I and progress to Biotechnology III in their senior year. From this point, they will enter internship opportunities with cooperating nearby institutions. Students learn the basics of gel electrophoresis, PCR, micropipetting, solution preparation, aseptic technique and other procedures used in biotechnology. Students learn patterns of Inheritance, Protein Synthesis, epigenesis, mutations, the molecular biology of cancer, knowledge and use of adult and embryonic stem cells, biomarkers, evolutionary genomics and other knowledge basic to the understanding of genomes. Students also explore the ethics of using stem cells, gene testing, gene therapy, etc., using models for ethical decisions developed by the medical community.

Health Science Academy Pathway Students in this pathway may begin their freshman year with an introductory survey class that describes the possible careers that an individual may pursue within the Health Sciences. Some of these professions include Respiratory Therapy, Pharmaceutical Aide, Physical/Occupational Therapy, Nursing, Nuclear Medicine and other such professions. Subsequent courses will be organized into 9 week, 0.5 credit classes that will explore these occupations in depth. By giving students in-depth and “hands on” experience within these sub-occupations in the health field, individual students may more readily recognize an area of interest to them. The expanded curriculum will also prepare them for future classes at the community college or university level.