IGS Garbsen is a comprehensive school that, as suggested in our school slogan “Be different – learn together”, provides students with every kind of graduation certificate possible up to their final graduating examinations (Abitur). With Project Beta-Masterclass, we aim to encourage students to foster skill and knowledge development within the fields of science, while simultaneously making it possible for us to create partnerships with additional suppliers and educational establishments. As a certified “Europaschule”, we support our students in their efforts to achieve a degree, as well as in their endeavors to secure future employment. This program strives to improve students’ basic understanding of science and responds directly to the social demand to increase the number of students studying science and technology. Project Beta-Masterclass acts as a way to spark student interest, boosting the appeal of learning about science, thus increasing performance efficiency within the classroom. As the coordinating school, we will organize the project background in collaboration with our very own Life Science Lab and the Institute for Livestock Genetics in Neustadt. Gooise Scholen Federatie in Bussum, Netherlands and the Agrupamento de Escolas do Bonfim in Portalegre, Portugal will participate as our partner schools.Our project requires direct and frequent cooperation from around 50 participants, 30 of whom will be represented by students from the participating schools. Aged 16 - 18, these students will be supervised by two teachers from each school respectively. Around 10 more teachers will be involved in assisting student groups with linguistic preparations, as well as organizing and conducting experiments in the school lab. The three head teachers will be available at all times to discuss and exchange ideas with participants and to evaluate student results. Indirectly, however, more people will be involved: the families of everyone involved in the project, but also to the participating personnel from the institute in Neustadt, etc.Within the Life Science Lab, the students will conduct microbiological experiments, simulate various methods of genetic engineering all within a school setting. At the Löffler Institut, they will be given an opportunity to explore the institute and compare notes and ideas with scientists. In form of podium discussions or active roll play, students will also observe and evaluate the ethics of socially relevant and rather controversial topics regarding genetic engineering.Keeping the respective curricula in mind, teachers will work together to develop a questionnaire for the students. In doing so, European legislation as well as national differences in perception and management will be introduced to students as subjects of discussion.One of the project’s fundamental goals is to expose students to new situations; this includes recognizing and respecting the learning situations of other countries as well as mastering the role of hosting. Working together in groups, the students will conduct DNA analyses, back up their results in many different ways: They will compare their findings with other groups, discuss solutions to problems and document their results. In addition to learning more about the field of science, they will also be practicing basic skills like reading and writing as well as mathematics. Likewise, the project strives to strengthen the students’ English language skills, which, as everyone’s first foreign language, will serve as the project’s primary working language.In consequence, it is anticipated that the students will have significantly improved their basic understanding of science. Not only will they have achieved a deeper insight into scientific matters, but they will also be capable of answering ethical and moral questions in regard to genetic engineering. Having collected detailed information about this particular field of science, students will create Power Point presentations documenting their experiences, which will be saved onto CD-ROMs for future access. Another goal is the greater community perceiving the participating schools as innovative and scientifically engaged. The project encourages lifelong learning and mobility, providing students with experiences and helping them find their way in new situations. The experience will aid them on their life-long journey, especially when and if they, e.g. decide to leave home to continue their education as an apprentice or to attend university. Moreover, they will be able to report and discuss their findings with their peers, allowing subsequent projects to continue. We hope that this project might even encourage some of the students to seriously consider pursuing a career in the field of science. If nothing else, the participating teachers will incorporate their experiences in dealing with innovative subjects within their future every day teachings.