Accelerating Access: Health Science Education in Native American Communities

 描述(由申请人提供)：内布拉斯加大学医学中心，在大平原部落主席健康委员会的支持下，将利用我们与内布拉斯加州和南达科他州的部落学校和社区合作所获得的信任和合作精神，开发、实施和评估针对K-12年级美洲原住民学生的科学课程。这个项目的长期目标是促进学生对科学的兴趣，培养更具科学素养的公众，并最终增加 进入健康和科学职业的美洲原住民人数。改善为我们的美洲原住民伙伴服务的课堂上的科学教学是这个项目的关键。这一目标将通过创建和改编实际操作的、适合年龄的课程来实现。通过暑期讲习班、辅导和在职教育提供教师支持，将促进部落学校采用新的科学战略。通过从中学科学夏令营到精选高中生的长期丰富计划的暑期体验，学生的参与度将得到提高。超越课堂，接触到家长和社区，对这个项目的成功也是至关重要的。社区项目的设计将给父母和长辈带来学生做科学时所感受到的兴奋感。附带的好处将包括促进教育机会、健康生活和提高健康素养。将在所有阶段进行专业评估，主要重点是评估该项目对教育和社区的影响。研究技术将包括态度和主题内容的基线和后期测量、参与者评估问卷和学生回溯性前测。促进美洲原住民社区的健康是该项目各个方面的最终目标。改进的科学教学和对健康职业的高度认识将鼓励学生进入这些职业，并有望将这些技能带回他们的社区。提高健康素养和健康生活的公共宣传将促进更好的个人健康决策。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Nebraska Medical Center, with the support of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board, will leverage the trust and cooperative spirit that we have garnered working with tribal schools and communities in Nebraska and South Dakota to develop, implement, and evaluate science curriculum targeting Native American students grades K-12. The long term goals of this project are to promote student interest in the sciences, foster a more science literate public, and ultimately to increase the number of Native Americans entering health and science careers. Improving science instruction in the classrooms serving our Native American partners is key to this project. This objective will be accomplished by creating and adapting hands-on, age appropriate lessons. Teacher support through summer workshops, mentoring, and in-service education will facilitate implementation of novel science strategies for use in tribal schools. Student engagement will be enhanced through summer experiences from science camps for middle school to longer term enriching programs for select high schools students. Reaching beyond the classroom to parents and communities is also critical to the success of this project. Community programs will be designed to give parents and elders the sense of excitement that students feel when doing science. Ancillary benefits will include promoting educational opportunities, healthy living, and improving health literacy. Professional evaluations will be made at all stages, with major emphasis being placed on evaluating the educational and community impact of the project. Research techniques will include baseline and post measures of attitudes and subject content, participant evaluation questionnaires, and student retrospective pretests. Advancing the health of Native American communities is the ultimate aim of every aspect of this project. Improved science teaching and heightened awareness of health careers will encourage students to enter these careers and hopefully to bring these skills back to their communities. Public outreach that increases health literacy and healthy living will promote better personal health decisions.