Disease ecology classes were conducted at two residential middle school summer camps held at a university--a camp for local youth who paid tuition and a free camp for youth from statewide underserved communities including Native, low-income, and rural. Disease ecology is defined as the ecological study of host-pathogen interactions within the…

Informal physics programs bring physicists together with youth and adults from local communities to engage with physics content outside of classroom settings. These public engagement or "physics outreach" programs are a significant endeavor of the physics community; however, we lack a systemic documentation of these efforts, which makes…

Since 2005, nearly 600 Physiology Understanding Week (PhUn Week) events have taken place across the U.S., involving American Physiological Society (APS) members in K-12 outreach. The program seeks to build student understanding of physiology and physiology careers, assist teachers in recognizing physiology in their standards-based curriculum, and…

Many university science outreach programs involve presentations of research projects to high school students. These presentations often focus more on exciting scientific content and less on fostering direct relationships between high school students and scientists. Such interactions are important for sustaining student interest in science…

The present study investigated the impact of a Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Health (STEM+H) university-based pipeline program, the Careers in Health and Medical Professions Program, over the course of two summers among predominantly African-American high school students recruited from urban school districts (N = 155). Based on…

Students seek unique experiences to obtain and enhance professional development skills and to prepare for future careers. Through the Let's Talk Science Partnership Program (LTSPP), a voluntary science outreach program at University of Toronto Scarborough, students are given the opportunity to continually improve on skills which include: the…

Under-represented groups such as Latinos lack sufficient voice in important conversations about science topics. Yet we know that Latinos are under-represented in the profession. One path to careers in science is through early exposure during youth. This article describes research to identify how to engage Latino groups in science programs, such as…

Despite decades of precollege science education programs, African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans remain critically underrepresented in science and health professions. This report describes college and career outcomes among graduates of the Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP), a 5-week summer residential program for low-income…

One of the challenges issued by the National Science Education Standards is for students to learn the content and process of modern scientific inquiry by engaging in research and entering science competitions. The Rockefeller University Precollege Science Education Outreach Programs (Science Outreach) provide access for about 70 students from…

A study of the Women in Science Program, particularly the Career Facilitation Projects, was conducted through on-site visits to assess initial project functioning to determine whether alterations in the program guidelines should be recommended. Based on the individual on-site reports, findings and conclusions are presented, participants and…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a specially designed museum science program on academically gifted elementary students. The program focused on inquiry-based activities that paralleled the work of museum scientists. A pre- and postattitude questionnaire and a parental postquestionnaire were used to investigate changes in…

For two summers, week-long residential mathematics programs were held for high school women, with the primary goal of encouraging them to continue their study of mathematics. The activities were designed to rekindle their excitement about mathematics and to support the idea that women should learn advanced mathematics. This paper reports the…

The need to impart technological literacy to youth is vital for a state such as Alabama, since it has historically received relatively low levels of Federal research and development funding (EPSCOR). Thirty five counties in the state of Alabama have less than 10% of the general population with college degrees. As our society becomes more and more…