This project will bring secondary school teachers into the laboratory to perform microbiological study, including traditional culturing and cutting-edge molecular analyses, which will identify the source of a mock foodborne outbreak. This exciting, hands-on encounter with state-of-the-art microbiology and molecular biology techniques will function to bridge the gap between research and secondary schools, thus addressing a primary objective of the AFRI Education and Workforce Development program, "to promote faculty expertise and encourage widespread implementation of educational innovation at the K-14 levels in the food and agricultural sciences."The train-the-trainer model will build capacity within Arizona Cooperative Extension (ACE) and provide teachers with co-facilitators in the classroom. This model ensures that the participating teachers will be prepared and able to implement the real world and relevant microbiology unit in their classrooms. Objectives include: 1) Develop short course, curriculum unit and laboratory training manual, 2) Train the trainer short course for Arizona Cooperative Extension facilitators, 3) Deliver professional development on the project based learning curriculum unit that incorporates the laboratory modules for 10 high school teachers, and 4) Teachers teach the project based learning curriculum unit with lab experiences to at least 450 high school students.This project will increase the number teachers trained in food and agricultural sciences. Teachers will develop new skills and content knowledge to integrate agricultural science concepts into their classroom. Through their interaction with ACE Extension professionals, they will broaden students understanding of agricultural science careers and forge partnerships with professionals and faculty in the field.