Health Science Guides

Grant #: 1-R25-RR12344-01

Principal Investigator: Robert L.DeHaan, Ph.D.
Health Science Guides Program Coordinator: Stephanie J. May, M.Ed.
Project Site: Emory University, School of Medicine, 1648 Pierce Road Atlanta, GA. 30322
Phone: 404-712-9797; Fax: 404-727-6256
E-mail: rld@cellbio.emory.edu

Summary of Project

Program Description: Health Science Guides (HSG) is a three-part program in the health sciences for middle school children (grades 4th-8th) and their teachers. The program consists of (1) recruitment and training of post-baccalaureate trainees as Health Science Guides (HSGs) to work with school personnel to help introduce health-science concepts, assist with in-school, after-school and summer enrichment activities, provide support and serve as agents of change; (2) a developmentally aligned hands-on curriculum in the health sciences (Busy Body), that is designed to apply technology to link cell and molecular biology to disease prevention; (3) an engaging age-appropriate electronic adventure game in neurobiology called Brain Voyager. Public Health, Nursing and Medical Students from Emory University and Morehouse School of Medicine are assigned individually or in teams to a school in one of the four metro metro-Atlanta school systems: City of Atlanta, Fulton County, Dekalb County, or Decatur City, to help organize and lead a variety of health science programs including afterschool health science clubs, classroom visits and staff development workshops.

Recruitment and Training: A variety of strategies are used to gain access to post-baccalaureate nursing, public health and medical students from Emory University and the Morehouse School of Medicine. Working collaboratively with university officials, we have been highly successful in generating interest, particularly among public health students. The HSGs and middle school teachers attend collaborative planning sessions during which the teams discuss the nature and needs of middle school children, participate in interactive health science activities and design a program to fit the specific needs of the local schools.

  • Program Implementation: To date, over 100 HSG students have been recruited and trained. They are currently working in interdisciplinary teams facilitating inquiry based health science in eleven middle school programs in the metro Atlanta area.

Teacher comments:

  • "Thank-you! I have new insight to a new way of interacting with my children."
  • "My children were enthused...each week they waited for the HSGs to arrive!
  • "The HSGs made my children think more critically"
  • "The team used a variety of strategies...cooperative groups, hands-on instruction...they made it fun"
  • "The students got their attention!"

For more information, you may also contact:
Steven Jones
Liaison Coordinator from Morehouse School of Medicine
720 Westview Drive S.W., GA 30310
e-mail: joness@msm.edu

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