Native American Youths Enjoy Science - YES Oklahoma

项目总结 “是的，俄克拉荷马州”计划提供了一条途径，使俄克拉何马州的代表性得以增强。 从事癌症研究的美国印第安人学生。我们的计划得到了威奇托部落主席的支持 和附属部落、基奥瓦部落高等教育、科曼奇民族主席以及 代表我们合伙学校的负责人。我们的机构支持非常可观，包括7万美元。 每年有20多名教职员工导师。美洲原住民(NA)专业人士在STEM领域的代表性不足， 尤其是在生物医学研究中，而在癌症研究中几乎没有。这种STEM差异具有 已实现对社区健康的影响。在癌症的发生和发展方面存在着巨大的NA健康差距 各种癌症的死亡率，其中大部分差异发生在癌症类型中 筛查、早期发现和获得医疗保健有很大的影响。与普通人群相比， 在过去的20年里，在降低癌症相关死亡率方面取得了相当大的进步， 在NA组中没有观察到这种减少。这表明，更强大的NA医疗保健 劳动力和基础设施与所在社区关系密切，可能会降低这一比率。在我们的目标中， 我们提出了一种研究性培训策略，在那里，对生物医学职业感兴趣的NA高中生可以 从事科学研究和职业化活动，重点是癌症 研究。是的，俄克拉荷马州学者将包括一群正在崛起的高中三年级学生和大四学生 为期8周的职业发展和癌症研究暑期课程(目标1)；是的，俄克拉荷马州教师 (目标2)将包括一批来自合作学校的初中和高中教师，他们将参加 为期8周的暑期培训活动，包括研究和课程开发。教师将招聘未来 是的，俄克拉荷马州学者来自他们的班级人群。这班同学是俄克拉何马州的YES 实习生，谁参与是教师的俄克拉荷马州课程，包括实验室研究经验 以及当地的俄克拉荷马州外展活动。PIs、学者、教师和受训人员以及 社区利益相关者和部落将组成我们的YES俄克拉荷马州外展团队，他们将参与 活动的重点是家庭、社区、部落间活动和癌症预防教育(目标3)。这个 是的，俄克拉荷马州的计划每年将直接影响超过76名参与者(72名NA学生和4名教师)，以及 综合外展活动将间接影响数以千计未得到充分服务的学生、教师、家庭和 社区成员。最终结果是，该计划将为北卡罗来纳州的学生建立一条途径 进入STEM项目，并最终进入生物医学科学。

PROJECT SUMMARY The “YES Oklahoma” program provides a pathway that sustains an enhanced representation of Oklahoma American Indian students in cancer research. Our program is supported by the Tribal President of the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, the Kiowa Tribe Higher Education, and the Chairman of the Comanche Nation, as well as superintendents representing our partnering schools. Our institutional support is substantial, including >$70,000 annually and over 20 faculty mentors. Native American (NA) professionals are underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly those in biomedical research, and near-absent in cancer research. This STEM discrepancy has realized impacts on community health. There is a substantial NA health disparity in cancer occurrence and mortality rates of various cancers, and much of these disparities occur with cancer types where regular screening, early detection, and access to healthcare have a large impact. Compared to the general population, where there has been considerable advancement over the last 20 years in lowering cancer-associated mortality, such reductions have not been observed for NA groups. This suggests that a more robust NA healthcare workforce and infrastructure, one with strong ties to their communities, could reduce these rates. In our aims, we propose a research training strategy, where NA high school students interested in biomedical careers can engage in hands on scientific research and professionalization activities, with a strong emphasis in cancer research. YES Oklahoma Scholars will include a cohort of rising high school NA juniors and seniors engaged in an 8-week summer course on professional development and cancer research (Aim 1); YES Oklahoma Teachers (Aim 2) will include a cohort of middle and high school teachers from partner schools who will participate in an 8-week summer training event that includes research and curriculum development. Teachers will recruit future YES Oklahoma Scholars from their classroom populations. This classroom cohort are the YES Oklahoma Trainees, who engage is a Teacher’s YES Oklahoma curriculum that includes laboratory research experiences and local YES Oklahoma outreach activities. Together, the PIs, Scholars, Teachers, and Trainees, along with community stakeholders and tribes, will form our YES Oklahoma Outreach Team, and they will participate in events focused on families, communities, and intertribal activities and cancer prevention education (Aim 3). The YES Oklahoma program will directly impact over 76 participants (72 NA students and 4 teachers) annually, and the combined outreach events will indirectly impact thousands of underserved students, teachers, families and community members. The net result is that the program would have established a pathway of NA students entering the STEM program and ultimately into biomedical sciences.