Science Promotion in Rural Middle Schools: Phase I + II

描述(由申请者提供)：长期目标是在全国范围内开发、评估和传播一个有吸引力的农村科学促进模式，将生物医学科学整合到中学中，以增强对研究和临床试验过程的价值和伦理的理解。将通过开发互动课程、专业发展和当地兽医的课堂访问来促进研究教育和职业发展。农村学校普遍存在与环境有关的疾病和人畜共患病，招聘科学教师的难度很大，与可能影响他们职业选择的科学专业人员互动较少。中学是社会技能和学术能力发展的黄金时期。有关的资料 药物和医疗器械的发展历史和相关疾病将被纳入科学 课程，并通过兽医的学校访问和教师提供的后续课程传播到农村(和其他)服务不足的环境中。具体目标是：1)为当地兽医访问农村公立中学，以促进科学、了解临床试验过程和负责任地使用动物进行研究；2)为公立学校教师(如何提供后续课程)、兽医学生(通过外展交流选修课程)和兽医(公立学校传播策略的继续教育培训和关于如何在VBBS中介绍材料的流媒体视频)提供专业发展；促进兽医学生和当地兽医走访农村公立中学，提高生物医学和临床研究的科学应用和价值。他们将说明在疾病诊断中使用科学方法，促进对NIH资助的生物医学研究解决问题的价值的理解，以解决动物和人类健康问题，并促进科学和生物医学领域的职业生涯。第一阶段将在德克萨斯州的公立学校课堂上开发兽医模式，以及 第二阶段将在全国范围内传播该模型和材料。公众对这一过程的理解和 动物研究在动物和人类健康方面的成就将得到提高。同样，将促进对药品和医疗器械(用具)获得批准并可供公众使用的过程的了解。通过这一独特的农村科学促进模式，将鼓励德克萨斯州和全国更多未被充分代表的学生进入并保持在科学学术轨道上，以更好地满足全国所需的科学和生物医学劳动力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Long-term goals are to develop, evaluate, and disseminate nationwide an engaging Rural Science Promotion Model that integrates biomedical sciences into middle schools to enhance understanding of the value and ethics of research and the clinical trail process. Research education and careers will be fostered through development of interactive curricula, professional development, and classroom visits from local veterinarians. Rural schools have a prevalence of environmentally-related and zoonotic diseases, difficulty in recruiting science teachers, and less interaction with scientific professionals who could influence their career choices. Middle school is the prime developmental period for social skills and academic competence. Information on the history of drug and medical device development and associated diseases will be integrated into science curricula and disseminated into rural (and other), underserved settings through veterinarians' school visits and follow-up lessons teachers present. Specific aims are to: 1) develop curricular materials [Veterinarians' Black Bags (VBBs) of hands-on and demonstrational materials, follow-up lessons, and pamphlets] directed at K-12 and the general public that support local veterinarians' visits into rural public middle schools to promote science, understanding of the clinical trial process and responsible use of animals in research; 2) provide professional development for public school teachers (on how to present follow-up lessons), for veterinary students (course work elective on communication through outreach), and for veterinarians (continuing education training with public school communication strategies and streaming videos on how to present materials in the VBBs); and 3) promote the application of science and value of biomedical and clinical research by veterinary students and local veterinarians' visits into rural public middle schools. They will illustrate the use of scientific method in disease diagnosis, promote understanding of the problem-solving value of biomedical research funded by NIH to address animal and human health issues, and promote careers in science and biomedical fields. Phase I will develop the model of veterinarians in the public school classroom in Texas, and Phase II will disseminate the model and materials nationwide. Public understanding of the process and accomplishments of animal research for both animal and human health will be enhanced. Likewise, knowledge of the process by which drugs and medical devices (appliances) become approved and available for public use will be promoted. Through this unique, Rural Science Promotion Model, a larger number of underrepresented students throughout Texas and the nation will be encouraged to enter and remain in science academic tracks to better meet the nation's needed scientific and biomedical workforce.