STLCC's Center for Plant and Life Sciences to Hold Open House

The community is invited to learn about careers they may have overlooked at St. Louis Community College’s Center for Plant and Life Sciences open house.

Guests will observe biotechnology demonstrations, tour the award-winning center and meet agriculture technology companies. 

The event is Tuesday, Aug. 8, from 4-7 p.m. at the Bio-Research Development and Growth Park, 1005 N. Warson Road.

Betsy Boedeker, district director of the Center for Plant and Life Sciences, is excited about sharing career options with people who never imagined themselves wearing a laboratory coat.

“How long it takes to complete a program varies depending on the number of credit hours earned per semester, but people need to rethink the four-year-degree stereotype associated with lab work,” she said. 

“It is possible to land a good-paying job in this field without a huge investment of time, because demand is so high. For example, our biotechnology graduates with an associate degree in applied science can earn up to $23-an-hour working as lab technicians.” 

College representatives will assist students interested in STLCC’s biotechnology, horticulture or life science programs with enrollment and scholarship applications during the open house. They will also share details about a unique program for high schoolers called EMBARK. 

Visitors are asked to register in advance. Contact Katie Rivers, administrative assistant for life sciences, at 314-513-4952 or ktucker51@stlcc.edu for more information, or at least two working days prior to the event if you need an accommodation.