SEPA in New Mexico

描述（由申请人提供）：美国印第安人和西班牙裔历来在科学领域的代表性不足，最近有美国印第安人和西班牙裔学生的数量稳步下降，从高西班牙裔招生机构和部落学院毕业的科学和工程学士学位。此外，慢性疾病如癌症、2型糖尿病和肥胖症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的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，加上这些人口中慢性病的发病率较高，这对全国构成了严重的挑战。据美国国立卫生研究院称，应对这一挑战的潜在解决方案是通过增加科学领域代表性不足的人的研究培训和职业机会，加强预防和人口科学研究基础设施，并向公众通报预防和人口科学研究的最新进展。我们通过一个多方面的科学丰富计划来应对这一国家挑战，该计划旨在帮助新墨西哥州农村地区的部落和非部落（主要是西班牙裔）中学入学的学生、他们的科学教师、家庭和整个社区。该计划是一个以学校和社区为基础的健康教育和参与性研究计划，结合代际和科学探究为基础的学习经验，探索研究，促进健康的营养和预防慢性病的体育活动。其目的是： (1)加强中学的科学课程，增加有关研究、营养和体育活动的单元，以培养学生对科学事业的兴趣;（二）为学生推行全面的辅导计划，确保跨代学习;（3）为科学和卫生教师提供专业发展活动，以发展可持续的技能，基础科学课程;（4）提高家庭和整个社会对预防和人口科学研究最新进展的认识;以及（5）评估科学丰富计划的成效。我们建立在UNM PRC在学校和社区预防研究方面的广泛专业知识的基础上。我们利用以社区为基础的健康教育和参与式研究方法来实施以证据为基础的课程，这将增加学生对科学和科学方法的理解和兴趣。此外，我们将发展科学教师和UNM研究人员之间的动态伙伴关系，并将促进社区对健康科学当前进展的理解。最后，我们将通过一个门户网站和其他传统和非传统渠道广泛宣传该项目，以促进迅速采用通过该项目开发的有效课程和其他研究工具。 公共卫生相关性（由申请人提供）：该项目将通过使用创新技术和教育策略，培养和培养学生对科学职业的兴趣。此外，该项目将提供基于研究的证据，说明创新技术（基于门户网站的研究任务和小游戏）和教育战略（实践社区、代际指导）在增加对慢性病的了解和增加对科学职业的兴趣方面的功效。同样重要的是，对新墨西哥州农村部落和非部落社区的重视将解决国家优先事项，即征聘和保留在研究领域，特别是预防和人口科学研究领域代表性不足的个人。

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.