Environmental Health Investigators: Building STEM Interest to Promote Careers in the Health Sciences

项目总结/摘要 少数种族和族裔在环境健康科学领域的代表性不足，尽管有良好的 就业前景和需要不同的观点，以确保所有社区的福祉。学习 在校外（非正式）环境中开展科学活动是激发对科学兴趣的一种有希望的方法，因为 学生能够在社区为基础的项目工作了很长一段时间，沉浸在自己的 科学的过程，同时学习工作场所的成功技能，如团队合作，解决问题， 批判性思维然而，学习环境健康科学的机会有限， 相关职业，特别是生活在集中贫困地区的少数民族青年。的长期目标 本项目旨在了解如何最好地产生和维持对健康科学的兴趣， 改变学生的教育和职业道路。中心假设是，中学生将 发展并保持对科学的浓厚兴趣，如果他们1）在现实世界中参与真正的科学 背景，2）参与并理解与其社区相关的相关科学内容，3） 定期与专业科学家互动，以及4）作为科学家行事并被他人视为科学家。朝向 为了实现长期目标，本项目的总体目标是开发、实施和研究一个 学校时间计划，其中服务不足的中学青年（11-13岁）参加真正的科学 在其社区进行环境健康科学调查，并向其家人介绍调查结果， 社区成员和更广泛的观众。拟议项目的理由是， 课程可以提高科学技能和职业意识，经过测试和改进，可以复制 与其他人群。该项目的目标将通过三个具体目标来实现：（1）制定一个 环境健康科学的模块化校外课程，强调学生的选择和地点， 基于学习，（2）在麦迪逊集中贫困社区实施学生计划 县，伊利诺伊州通过与当地社区组织的伙伴关系，以及（3）提供专业 为社区环境卫生科学教育工作者提供培训。拟议方案是 重要的是，它（a）产生了关于科学兴趣发展的新知识，（B）提供了一个模型 （c）为低收入城市社区的环境健康科学教育创造便携式 课程单元，正规和非正规教育工作者可以调整其具体的教学环境。项目 是创新的，因为它（a）利用高影响力的教育实践的新组合，以达到 目标受众，（B）与青年一起应用环境摄影之声方法，（c）团结合作伙伴 通常不围绕发展科学技能的共同目标一起工作的组织 和健康事业的利益，以及（d）使用学生的选择和社区的相关性作为中心 课程设计和编程的原则。

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the field of environmental health sciences, despite good job prospects and the need for diverse perspectives to ensure the well-being of all communities. Learning science in out-of-school (informal) settings is a promising approach to generate interest in science because students are able to work on community-based projects over an extended period, immersing themselves in the process of science while learning success skills for the workplace such as teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. However, there are limited opportunities to learn about environmental health sciences and related careers, particularly for minority youth who live in areas of concentrated poverty. The long-term goal of this project is to understand how to best generate and sustain an interest in health sciences that ultimately alters students' education and career pathways. The central hypothesis is that middle school students will develop and sustain a strong interest in science if they 1) participate in authentic science in a real-world context, 2) engage with and understand relevant scientific content that connects to their community, 3) interact regularly with professional scientists, and 4) act as and be seen by others as scientists. Towards attaining the long-term goal, the overall objective of this project is to develop, implement, and study an out-of- school time program in which underserved middle school youth (ages 11-13) participate in authentic scientific investigations of environmental health sciences in their community and present their findings to their families, community members, and a broader audience. The rationale for the proposed project is that a project-based curriculum can increase science skills and career awareness and, after testing and refinement, be replicated with other populations. The objective of the project will be accomplished by three specific aims: (1) Develop a modular out-of-school curriculum in environmental health sciences that emphasizes student choice and place- based learning, (2) Implement the student program in communities of concentrated poverty in Madison County, Illinois through a partnership with local community organizations, and (3) Provide professional development for educators in community-based environmental health sciences. The proposed program is significant because it (a) generates new knowledge about science interest development, (b) provides a model for environmental health science education in low-income urban communities, and (c) creates portable curriculum units that formal and informal educators can adapt to their specific teaching contexts. The project is innovative because it (a) utilizes a novel combination of high-impact educational practices to reach the intended audience, (b) applies Environmental Photovoice methodologies with youth, (c) unites partner organizations that typically do not work together around the common goal of developing the scientific skills and health career interests of at-risk youth, and (d) uses student choice and community relevance as central tenets for curriculum design and programming.