SEPA in New Mexico

描述（由申请人提供）：美国印第安人和西班牙裔在科学领域的代表性一直不足，最近从西班牙裔入学率高的机构和部落学院获得科学和工程学士学位的美国印第安人和西班牙裔学生的数量稳步下降。此外，癌症、2型糖尿病和肥胖等慢性疾病是美洲印第安人和西班牙裔人、缺乏经济资源的人和居住在农村地区的人发病率和死亡率的不成比例的原因。美国印第安人和西班牙裔人在科学领域的代表性较低，加上这些人群中慢性病的患病率较高，这对国家构成了严重的挑战。美国国立卫生研究院认为，应对这一挑战的潜在解决办法是加强预防和人口科学研究基础设施，办法是增加在科学领域代表性不足的人的研究培训和就业机会，并向公众通报预防和人口科学研究的最新进展。我们通过一个面向部落和非部落（主要是西班牙裔）中学的学生、他们的科学教师、家庭和新墨西哥州农村广大社区的多方面科学充实计划来应对这一全国性挑战。该方案是一项学校和社区的健康教育和参与性研究方案，结合了代际和基于科学探究的学习经验，以探索研究、促进健康的营养和预防慢性疾病的体育活动。其目的是：

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): American Indians and Hispanics have historically been under-represented in the scientific fields and recently there has been a steady decline in the number of American Indian and Hispanic students graduating with science and engineering bachelor's degrees from high Hispanic enrollment institutions and Tribal colleges. Further, chronic diseases such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity are a disproportionate cause of morbidity and mortality among American Indians and Hispanics, people who lack economic resources, and those who reside in rural geographies. The lower representation of American Indians and Hispanics in the sciences coupled with higher prevalence of chronic diseases among these populations poses a serious national challenge. According to the National Institutes of Health, potential solutions to this challenge are to enhance the prevention and population sciences research infrastructure by increasing research training and career opportunities for people under-represented in the sciences and to inform the public about the latest advances in prevention and population sciences research. We address this national challenge through a multi- faceted science enrichment program aimed towards students enrolled in tribal and non-tribal (predominantly Hispanic) middle schools, their science teachers, families, and the community at large in rural New Mexico. The program is a school- and community-based health education and participatory research program that incorporates intergenerational and science-inquiry based learning experiences to explore research, health promoting nutrition, and physical activity for the prevention of chronic diseases. The aims are to: (1) enhance the science curriculum in the middle schools through the addition of modules on research, nutrition, and physical activity so as to foster interest in science careers among the students; (2) implement a comprehensive mentoring program for the students to ensure intergenerational learning; (3) provide professional development activities for the science and health teachers so as to develop sustainable skills for the development of evidence-based science curricula; (4) enhance the awareness among families and the community at large about the latest advances in prevention and population sciences research; and (5) evaluate effectiveness of the science enrichment program. We build on the UNM PRC's extensive expertise in school- and community- based prevention research. We utilize community-based health education and participatory research methods to implement the evidence-based curriculum that will increase student understanding and interest in science and the scientific methods. Further, we will develop dynamic partnerships between science teachers and UNM researchers, and will promote the community's understanding of current advances in health sciences. Lastly, we will broadly disseminate the project through a web-portal and other traditional and non-traditional venues to facilitate a quick adoption of the effective curriculum and other research tools developed through the project. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE (provided by applicant): This project will, through the use of innovative technologies and educational strategies, foster and nurture interest among students about careers in the sciences. Further, the project will provide research-based evidence on the efficacy of innovative technologies (web-portal based research quests and mini games) and educational strategies (communities of practice, intergenerational mentoring) on increasing knowledge about chronic diseases and increasing interest in careers in the sciences. Equally importantly, the emphasis on rural New Mexico tribal and non-tribal communities will address national priorities for the recruitment and retention of individuals under-represented in research fields, especially prevention and population science research.