Journey: NIDDK Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons/STEP-UP

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The American Indian Research and Education Center (AIREC)/ University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) under the School of Community Health Sciences in collaboration with Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC), Michigan and Rural Nutrition Services Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Interior Aleutians Campus, proposes the development and implementation of Journey an eight week summer program. Journey is in response to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP). The proposed project will expose twenty American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) junior and senior high school students to the science of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, and obesity. The long-term objective of Journey is to develop a sustainable research education program for high school students that provide hands on experiences with biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, prevention and outreach targeting health disparities research in diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, and obesity. Journey will give students direct exposure to mentors, research methods, skill building, and fellow researchers. This will result in the following measurable changes: " Increased knowledge of real-world use of scientific methods; " The role that research plays in shaping medical and behavioral fields; " Increased knowledge of responsible conduct in health-related research; " Increased knowledge of the role of research scientists and the diversity of people who pursue medical-science careers. Journey is designed to increase AI/AN's capacity and scientific knowledge to pursue higher education degrees in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social sciences research fields. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The relevance of the proposed Journey Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP) speaks to increasing and strengthening the shortage of American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) pursuing the fields of biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research, in the areas of diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, and obesity. Journey's cultural curriculum framework, methods and results will provide a targeted learning opportunity for AI/AN's into science and research.