Community Engagement Core Summer Programs
This summer, the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) Community Engagement Core (CEC) hosted four summer programs and facilitated one designed to introduce students from middle school through community college to environmental health, research, grant writing, and professional development. Each program offers a unique hands-on experience designed to encourage students to enter STEM and environmental health areas of study at four-year universities. Below are highlights from each of the summer programs, showcasing their activities, projects, photos, and meaningful memories from the students.
Steps 2 Stem (S2S)
The Steps 2 STEM Summer Research Internship is a 4-week experience for students participating in the Pima County JTED's Biotechnology and Healthcare Foundations programs. S2S was developed in 2017 as a pilot program designed to give high school students hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Interns participating in Steps 2 STEM complete two days of science literacy training before spending the following four weeks working with professionals in STEM-related research laboratories across the University of Arizona campus.
This summer, 18 students from local Pima County high schools participated in S2S. All students were required to be participants of Pima County’s JTED’s Biotechnology or Health Care Programs; 16 students were a part of the Health Care Foundations Program, and 2 students were part of the Biotechnology Program. The students worked at 18 different University of Arizona research laboratories for 4 weeks, working around 25-30 hours per week. For their final project, they created an academic poster that summarized their research experience and key findings, then presented their posters on June 27th during the S2S final showcase.
When asked about what experiences students had in the program that helped them achieve their goals, one student stated: “In Steps 2 STEM, experiences working with people I've never met before and making connections with them are especially important for my goals in college, with getting to know fellow students and professors. In addition, technical experience with lab equipment, understanding of storage and pulling systems, and a basic understanding of different lab processes allow me to be more open to working in a lab when I go to college, allowing me to gain more experience faster and easier because I already have some background in the lab environment.”
The program also featured weekly seminar classes, where UA faculty, staff, and graduate students presented on research topics and answered a wide range of questions from participants. This goal is to demystify the college experience and get the students excited about continuing their academic careers. The S2S participants will start their college experience more confidently and securely thanks to their experiences in our program. Thanks to all our partners who helped make this program a success!
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Toxic Detectives
Toxic Detectives is a week-long summer program for middle school students (grades 6-8) that introduces students to the field of environmental health and toxicology. This program provides students with the opportunity to make real-world connections to their environment through a variety of hands-on science experiments, research laboratory tours, and STEM professional guest speakers. In addition, students get the chance to explore the University of Arizona campus and get excited about the idea of college.
This summer, 21 students participated in Toxic Detectives. Part of the curriculum was being “detectives” and working through a theoretical exposure to a toxin for a fictional family. In addition, they developed a 3–4-minute presentation about a specific toxin. This included doing independent research and making PowerPoint slides. Students presented their toxins at the final showcase, which all parents were invited to attend, and which ended with a “student versus parent” trivia game. It was a great chance to show off how much they had learned! The goal of Toxic Detectives is to instill confidence in students in their ability to pursue a science academic or career path and to have fun exploring different STEM fields at the University.
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Our Land, Our Education, Our Health (OLEH)
Our Land, Our Education, and Our Health (OLEH) is a collaboration that began between the Tohono O’odham One Stop program and SWEHSC CEC to offer students the opportunity to explore environmental health careers through an Indigenous lens and gain a sense of belonging on the University of Arizona campus.
This summer, 13 students participated in OLEH, from different tribes in Arizona: 3 from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, 4 from the Tohono O’odham Nation, 4 from the Gila River Community, 1 from the Navajo Nation, 1 from the Quechan Tribe, and 2 from the Hopi Tribe. For their final project, the students were responsible for creating a mini-grant proposal with a corresponding academic poster based on environmental health topics related to their community. The students presented their final poster at the final showcase to the project partners, friends, and family.
When asked about their experience in OLEH, one student stated: “My experience here in the OLEH community was the most educational and most fun experience I ever had in my life. I would recommend for every student to do this if they are considering going to college or a university.” OLEH has not only lit a spark in student participants to pursue careers in STEM, but it fostered lasting friendships between students, kickstarting their first college support network.
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Environmental Scholars
Environmental Scholars (ES) is a weeklong summer experience for high school students made possible through our partnership with the Upward Bound program, which helps Tucson high school students successfully transition to their college careers. Through this program, students learn about environmental health and get a crash course in investigating and developing a project
This summer, 6 students participated in Environmental Scholars. The SWEHSC CEC created an engaging curriculum complete with hands-on STEM activities, peer feedback, and opportunities for independent growth. As a final project, students create a grant proposal and PowerPoint presentation proposing a solution to an environmental concern in their community. This allowed the students to practice creative problem solving, project development, and literature investigation. Their grant proposal was workshopped with their peers during the ES week, and the final version was presented at the Upward Bound Showcase to community partners and family. Environmental Scholars provides an opportunity for students to learn the fundamentals of environmental health and research through a community lens, centering their experiences and equipping them with tools to address community concerns.
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5. A Student's Journey
A Student's Journey is a 5-week summer program for Tribal college students that is hosted by the Office of the Provost's Division of Undergraduate Education. The goal is to engage a multi-disciplinary group of students and facilitate their transfer to the University once the program is completed. SWEHSC-CEC collaborated during the seminar portion of the program, finding speakers to present on Tribal environmental health topics. SWEHSC-CEC is proud of this ongoing collaboration and hopes to reduce barriers for Tribal students to attend the University, as well as to expand their understanding of environmental health. You can find more information on the program here.