MEDMYST: Dissemination Phase II A Phase I grant, The Reconstructors Investigate Medical Mysteries, from the National Center for Research Resources (R25 RR15295) funded the creation and field-test of innovative web-based materials targeted for middle school students. The product has come to be known as MEDMYST.It is an episodic adventure series with accompanying classroom activities focusing on infectious diseases and the microbes that cause them. The MEDMYST materials consist of: a) web adventures; b) classroom activities; c) MEDMYST Magazine--all designed to engage students in problem-solving activities not likely to be encountered elsewhere. Each of these components is available free of charge on the web site (http://medmyst.rice.edu) and all components are aligned with the National Science Education Content Standards. An extensive field test involving over 700 students from 9 different schools tested the efficacy of these materials. The results, accepted for publication in American Society for Microbiology's Microbiology Education journal, indicated significant learning gains with exposure to the Internet component of the materials. In this Phase II application, the goals are: 1) To create a network of MEDMYST Dissemination Partners and Lead Teachers whose expertise and training will continue beyond the SEPA funding. 2) To amplify teaching of Infectious Disease related concepts though MEDMYST in middle school classrooms by training a minimum of 1200 teachers, who will teach approximately 150,000 students over a two-year period. 3) To evaluate the impact of MEDMYST teacher training and document the adoption process in classrooms. 4) To continue to promote MEDMYST in a variety of educational settings, such as homes, after-school programs, museums, and with links from other web sites. To accomplish these goals, we have formed partnerships with the University of Washington Educational Outreach, The Minnesota Science Museum, the John P. McGovern Museum of Health ad Medical Science, and the American Society for Microbiology.
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), in collaboration with the Hall of Health, a hands-on health museum, proposes a two year, Phase II SEPA project entitled Health and Biomedical Science for a Diverse Community. The purpose of this project is to disseminate (1) "Your Genes and Your Choices," a unique, interactive exhibit on social and genetic factors in health, and (2) a 4th and 5th grade health and biomedical science curriculum. The exhibit and curriculum were developed during Phase I. "Your Genes and Your Choices, "which has eight interactive stations and has been piloted at the Hall of Health, is designed for small science museums and health education centers. It will travel to four venues nationwide during Phase II and remain available to other venues after the grant ends. The innovative, activity based curriculum consists of eight instructional units that introduce students to scientific concepts and investigation in the context of the study of diseases and health conditions that disproportionately affect minority populations. The topics are: Fourth Grade: Unit 1: Nutrition: Balance and Imbalance (Obesity); Unit 2. Traumatic Brain Injuries; Unit 3. Infectious Diseases and Immunity; Unit 4. Environmental Toxics: Poisoning Prevention. Fifth Grade: Unit 1. Nutrition: Diabetes; Unit 2. Asthma and Lung Disease; Unit 3. Heart Disease; and Unit 4. Sickle Cell Anemia and Genetics. Each unit consists of five one hour lessons. The curriculum was piloted during Phase I, both in the classroom and in an after school science club, at two elementary schools serving predominantly minority children in Oakland, California. Now we propose to: (1) disseminate the curriculum via science clubs to ten elementary schools in Oakland and Berkeley; (2) offer a series of educator workshops to enhance the skills of teachers and after school personnel to teach scientific investigation and to incorporate the latest findings in biomedical science across the curriculum; and 3) hold family science festivals at each participating school to introduce parents to the topics of the science clubs. The festivals will include hands-on activities, talks by CHORI researchers, and focused discussions with healthcare providers on issues relating to minority health. This project involves clinical as well as basic science investigators, healthcare providers, teachers and health educators, high school and college students, and faculty from San Francisco State University and the University of California at Berkeley. The ultimate goals are to make science interesting and relevant to children who come from ethnically diverse, low income environments; to help them meet state and national objectives for learning in health, science, and scientific inquiry; to help them and their parents understand the relationship between science and health; and to foster their interest in science, so that they may consider future careers related to biomedical science. All project activities will be assessed through formative and summative evaluation. The science clubs will remain in place at the ten participating schools after Phase II funding ends, and the curriculum and evaluation tools will be posted on the internet, and thereby available to others.
Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI), in collaboration with the Hall of Health, a hands-on health museum, proposes a three-year Phase I SEPA project entitled "Health and Biomedical Science for a Diverse Community." The project entails development of a novel, interactive biomedical science curriculum for 4th and 5th grade students in low socioeconomic environments. Complementary to the curriculum, a hands-on exhibit on social and genetic factors in health will be developed to enhance learning by students and families. The curriculum and exhibit will be pilot tested with students from two elementary schools in Oakland, California. The curriculum--which will specifically address minority health issues such as asthma, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease--will include four five-lesson instructional units for 4th grade, and four five-lesson instructional units for 5th grade. In addition to classroom activities, the project will include workshops for teachers, family health and biomedical science nights, field trips to the Hall of Health, and an annual health and biomedical science festival for families. The project will involve clinical as well as basic science investigators, patients and families, and high school and college students. It will draw on the talents of teachers and health educators from the Oakland Unified School District, directors of SEPA projects at the Exploratorium in San Francisco and Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley, faculty at San Francisco State University and the University of California at Berkeley, and employees of LeapFrog, Inc., a company located in Emeryville, California, that makes interactive educational products. The ultimate goals of the project are to make science interesting and relevant to children who come from ethnically diverse, low socio-economic environments, to help them and their parents understand the relationship between science and health, and to foster their interest in science so that they may consider future opportunities in careers related to biomedical science. All project activities will undergo front-end, formative, and summative evaluation.
As part of a grant from the National Science Foundation, the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is conducting regional STEM workshops, entitled NFB STEM2U, for blind youth [youth], grades 3 – 6. During this first regional workshop in Baltimore, the NFB operated three different programs simultaneously: one program for youth, a second program for their parents/caregivers, and a third program for a group of teachers who work with visually impaired students. A fourth program, for Port Discovery museum staff, was conducted earlier to prepare the museum staff to assist with the youth program
Working in collaboration with biomedical researchers from universities in the San Francisco area, across the nation, and abroad, the Exploratorium proposes to develop a high-quality microscopic imaging station for use by museum visitors, students, teachers and Internet visitors. This facility will utilize the highest quality optics and state-of-the-art microscopic techniques including biological staining and sophisticated digital recording. A variety of living specimens fundamental to basic biology, human development, the human genome and health-related research will be displayed. The station will be the lively center of the life sciences' area at the Exploratorium, providing educational content, dramatic imagery and regular demonstrations to reach an audience which ranges from the mildly curious to research scientists. In addition, the Exploratorium will be the first public institution, outside of a few research laboratories, to present live microscopic specimens via video and the Internet in real time. (To date, remote microscopes have generally presented inanimate objects or fixed tissue.) In order to increase student accessibility, subject matter for the imaging station will be integrated into the ongoing middle and high school teacher professional development at the museum. Teachers will be able to use the imaging station to conduct their own experiments, develop classroom explorations, take away images, access the website in their classrooms, or share materials with other teachers.
Adolescents face many conflicting messages and influences related to high-risk behavior. Choices confronting middle school students often have the potential for adverse effects on their overall health and well being. Montshire Museum proposes to develop an educational outreach program to allow students an opportunity to learn about key health issues in a context that is based on high-quality research and offers hands-on inquiry and self-directed investigations. The proposed educational outreach program will serve students in grades 5-8 in rural Vermont and New Hampshire schools. The project team will create four health education modules, each one related to current NIH-supported research by faculty at Dartmouth Medical School (DMS). DMS researchers will collaborate with Montshire Museum's science educators in developing the modules, connecting with students and teachers, and providing support for all aspects of the project. For each module, the project team will support hands-on classroom investigations and independent research using materials, objects and exhibits developed specifically for the program. In addition, professional development institutes for middle school health and science educators will provide science content and instructional strategies needed to successfully implement health science lessons that are aligned with national and state standards for health and science education. The curriculum materials developed for school-based programming also create opportunities for broader public outreach. Montshire's educators will adapt them for special family activities and presentations within the museum setting. The educational curriculum will be designed to provide all participants with information that will assist in making personal health decisions in the subject areas; raise participants' awareness of the ways that culture and media affect their choices; and expose participants to the interesting and relevant research taking place locally, while increasing their understanding of the diversity of health science careers and research processes. A thorough process of formative and summative evaluation will enable the project team to take an iterative approach to curriculum development and to provide the best possible learning experience for participants.
The long-term goal is to broaden our model program that currently targets African-American populations in the national capital area. The aim of the program is to: a) educate junior and senior high students and elementary school teachers directly; and b) provide opportunities for exploration of health-related sciences for the public at large (via an interactive website) so that topics in the biomedical sciences become "friendly and familiar" rather than the existing stereotype that science is erudite, obtuse, and incomprehensible. Specific objectives: (A) Design hands-on experiences in science laboratories and opportunities to interact with scientists in the setting of a sophisticated research institute; especially target under-represented minorities, students from inner city schools and other local schools where science opportunities may be limited. This will include junior and high school students, elementary school teachers, as well as interactions with Children's Museum and other similar organizations. (B) Set up interactive web-based informatics to include: i) a system where high school students could refine the question they are posing for science projects by discussing it with a professional scientist; ii) a general "ask-the-expert" site for science and health issues; iii) a reference site containing the detailed experimental protocols for student experiments; and iv) an interactive resource to aid teachers throughout the U.S. to establish contacts with scientists. The goal of this project is to extend the reach of current health science programs that are targeted to females, African-American junior and senior high school students, and elementary school teachers, located in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The project includes laboratory apprenticeships, student mentoring, and an interactive website to help students and teachers establish contact with scientists nationwide.
The Chester County intermediate Unit developed strong collaborations between school districts and informal education providers across Pennsylvania to engage thousands of students in high quality learning experiences. NASA will support these partnering institutions as they engage local teachers in professional development in high quality instruction during the school year. Requirements for both summer activities and school year activities necessitates cooperative agreements with secondary education partners to ensure fulfilling participation requirements such as reaching a large number of middle school students and teachers. The CCIU has many potential partners in the PA SoI project who have expressed interest in participating; including Carnegie-Mellon Robotics Academy, Cheyney University, Widener University, the Philadelphia School District, the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the NASTAR flight facility. With a renewed effort by the CCIU the PA Summer of Innovation Program will be implemented through the PAIU NET to provide quality STEM programming to students and STEM training to teachers while monitoring student outcomes. In Eastern PA camps will be held August 1-5 at 36 sites in the 20 participating school districts statewide. In Chester County, camp sites include Gordon Elementary School and Pope John Paul II Regional Catholic School. Additionally several NASA SoI Mini-Camps were held increasing the breath and depth of the program's impact.
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Chester County Intermediate UnitJohn Hall
Tornado Alley is a giant screen adventure that follows renegade filmmaker Sean Casey and the scientists of VORTEX2, the largest tornado research project ever assembled, on their epic missions to encounter one of Earth’s most awe-inspiring events: the birth of a tornado. Program components included the giant screen film; a Web site; educators’ guides and resources for classroom and informal learning; and professional development sessions utilizing cyberinfrastructure to facilitate remote interactions between educators and researchers performing actual data manipulations. In addition, an
LIGO's Science Education Center is in charge of Education and Public Outreach Component for the LIGO Livingston Observatory. The three prime efforts are: (1) Professional development for teachers utilizing lab facilities and cross-institute collaborations. (2) Outreach to students K-16 (targeting 5- 9th grade), with on-site field trips to the LIGO Lab and Science Education Center, as well as off-site visits & presentations. (3) Outreach to the general public and community groups with on-site tours and Science Education Center Experience, as well as off=site visits and presentations. LIGO's Science Education Center is located at the LIGO Observatory, and has an auditorium, a classroom and a 5000 square foot exhibit hall with interactive exhibits at its disposal to complete its mission. In addition LIGO-SEC staff serve to help press and documentary film makers complete their missions in telling the "LIGO story" and encouraging budding scientists.
Wyoming EPSCoR's education, outreach and diversity programs include undergraduate and graduate research and student achievement support, K-12 educational programs and teacher trainings, diversity programs targeted at increasing the representation of URGs in the sciences, and research infrastructural improvements on the community college level. Our current Track-1 Award through NSF EPSCoR is related to understanding the water balance through hydrology, ecology, and geophysics; and most of our programs include a heavy emphasis in that area.
The UMN MRSEC conducts an ambitious and multi-faceted education and outreach program to extend the impact of the Center beyond the university, providing undergraduates, college faculty, high school teachers, and K-12 students with opportunities that augment their traditional curriculum and increase their appreciation of materials science and engineering (MS&E). Our summer research program provides high-quality research and educational experiences in MS&E to students and faculty, drawn primarily from undergraduate institutions with limited research opportunities, while placing a strong emphasis on inclusion of women and members of underrepresented groups.