Educational Outreach Initiatives Research Articles

The forensic educational outreach initiative – Bridging the gap between education and workplace

Skills and knowledge gaps frequently exist between forensic educational programs and practical forensic laboratory needs. An educational outreach project involving three post-secondary academic institutions and a large multidisciplinary forensic laboratory was created to provide lectures to students, enable mentorship with forensic scientists, and provide an interactive experience within the forensic laboratory. Mentorship mixer exercises encouraged meaningful interactions between students and scientists, creating opportunities for practical discussion on employment requirements, optimal class selections based on students’ interests and forensic science requirements, and better understanding of the daily tasks and duties of operational forensic scientists. Feedback from students, professors, and forensic mentors have resulted in program improvements which will inform the educational outreach initiative going forward, including broader community outreach.

Exploring Methods for Sharing Wetland Knowledge and Identifying Future Needs and Solutions

Successful management of wetlands is increasingly making more use of traditional and contemporary community knowledge of wetlands in addition to the knowledge obtained from scientific investigations (Ens et al. 2012; Pyke et al. 2018). For this to happen, wetland managers need ways to tap into such knowledge, including respecting protocols around ownership of and access to such knowledge, and appreciating its value. However, at the same time the rapid advancement of science and technology and changes in societal values has led to the loss of valuable traditional knowledge, or such knowledge being ignored in favor of an over-reliance on modern scientific techniques. Mechanisms available through wetland centres (Finlayson 2018; Gevers et al. 2018), education outreach initiatives (Finlayson et al. 2013) and engagement with schools (M. Bartlett 2019, pers. comm.) go some way towards tapping into the value of these knowledge sources. However, much more is needed if the mutual benefits that can come from sharing knowledge are to be realized. This is more the case with the intensification of the threats to wetlands from climate change and sea level rise, invasive non-native species, and pollution. Given the difficulties associated with managing wetlands and ensuring there are sufficient funds to both collect and make use of contemporary scientific information, having access to knowledge provided by local communities may prove invaluable when addressing the harmful outcomes from these phenomena, in addition to assisting with efforts to ensure local communities are effectively engaged in wetland management. There have been many successful cases where traditional and community knowledge have been used alongside contemporary scientific practices for managing wetlands (Carbonell et al. 2001; Ens et al. 2012: Pyke et al 2018), but unless these are extended and expanded in time and space we fear that current high rates of wetland loss and degradation (Darrah et al. 2019; McInnes et al. 2020; Simpson et al. 2021) will continue. One way of contributing to the effort to ensure that these approaches are extended and expanded is to explore and develop effective methods for sharing knowledge between local communities, wetland researchers, and managers. This could start with the increasing sources of knowledge about the values and benefits derived from wetlands as well as that about management responses to the pressing problems for wetland management. The latter are well known, and yet, continue, with steps to stop and reverse wetland loss and degradation being acknowledged as insufficient (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). As part of ongoing programs run through organizations such as the Sydney Olympic Park Authority in Australia and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in the United Kingdom (UK) a symposium on Methods for Sharing Wetland Knowledge and Exploring Future Needs and Solutions was held at the INTECOL International Wetland Conference in Christchurch, New Zealand in October 2021. The symposium had three objectives, namely to: 1) explore the wealth and usefulness of traditional and community knowledge about wetlands; 2) identify gaps in knowledge-sharing tools, techniques and mechanism; and 3) explore ways forward. The symposium was intended to revisit the effectiveness of current approaches and programs in wetland awareness, education and training, and suggest measures for future improvements. It was further expected that in the future there would also be an emphasis on newer communication approaches, such as webinars and twitter conferences, alongside traditional and local community knowledge, which in themselves are based on having participatory approaches to ensure knowledge is shared in an open way. Provided below is an overview of the key issues that were included in the presentations in the symposium.

Fifth Annual Summer Research Summit on Health Equity Organized by the Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA on May 17, 2022

ABSTRACT: Academic-Community Partnerships: Change Agents for Advancing Health EquityThe fifth annual summer research summit organized by the Center of Excellence (COE) in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), was held on May 17, 2022. The theme of this year’s summit was ‘Academic-Community Partnerships: Change Agents for Advancing Health Equity.’ Given the ongoing pandemic, the summit was conducted virtually through digital platforms. This program was intended for both BCM and external audiences interested in advancing health equity, diversity, and inclusion in healthcare among healthcare providers and trainees, biomedical scientists, social workers, nurses, and individuals involved in talent acquisition and development, such as hiring managers (HR professionals), supervisors, college and hospital affiliate leadership and administrators, as well as diversity and inclusion excellence practitioners. We had attendees from all regions of the United States as well as from Saudi Arabia. The content in this Book of s encapsulates a summary of the research efforts by the BCM COE scholars (which includes post-baccalaureate students, medical students, clinical fellows, and junior faculty from BCM) as well as the external summit participants. The range of topics in this year’s summit was quite diverse, encompassing disparities in relation to maternal and child health (MCH), immigrant health, cancers, vaccination uptakes, and COVID-19 infections. Various solutions were ardently presented to address these disparities, including community engagement and partnerships, improvement in health literacy, and the development of novel technologies and therapeutics. With this summit, BCM continues to build on its long history of educational outreach initiatives to promote diversity in medicine by focusing on programs aimed at increasing the number of diverse and highly qualified medical professionals ready to introduce effective and innovative approaches to reduce or eliminate health disparities. These programs will improve information resources, clinical education, curricula, research, and cultural competence as they relate to minority health issues and social determinants of health. The year’s summit was a great success!Copyright © 2022 Dongarwar et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Fourth Annual Summer Research Summit on Health Equity Organized by the Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA on May 20, 2021

The fourth annual summer research summit organized by the Center of Excellence (COE) in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) was held on May 20, 2021. The theme of this year’s summit was ‘Strengthening Our Commitment to Racial and Social Justice to Improve Public Health.’ Given the ongoing pandemic, the summit was conducted virtually through digital platforms. This program was intended for both BCM and external audiences interested in advancing health equity, diversity and inclusion in healthcare among healthcare providers and trainees, biomedical scientists, social workers, nurses, individuals involved in talent acquisition and development such as hiring managers (HR professionals), supervisors, college and hospital affiliate leadership and administrators, as well as diversity and inclusion excellence practitioners. We had attendees from all regions of the United States, India, Pakistan and the Demographic Republic of the Congo. The content in this Book of Abstracts encapsulates a summary of the research efforts by the BCM COE scholars (which includes post-baccalaureate students, medical students, clinical fellows and junior faculty from BCM) as well as the external summit participants. The range of topics in this year’s summit was quite diverse encompassing disparities in relation to maternal and child health (MCH), immigrant heath, cancers, vaccination uptakes and COVID-19 infections. Various solutions were ardently presented to address these disparities including community engagement and partnerships, improvement in health literacy and development of novel technologies and therapeutics. With this summit, BCM continues to build on its long history of educational outreach initiatives to promote diversity in medicine by focusing on programs aimed at increasing the number of diverse and highly qualified medical professionals ready to introduce effective and innovative approaches to reduce or eliminate health disparities. These programs will improve information resources, clinical education, curricula, research and cultural competence as they relate to minority health issues and social determinants of health. The summit received very positive response in terms of zealous participation and outstanding evaluations; and overall, it was a great success. Copyright © 2021 Lopez et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Psychrometric Properties of a New Breastfeeding Attitude Scale among a Sample of Childless Adult Females

Understand the breastfeeding attitudes of a sample of childless adult females from a public university in Louisiana. Maternal breastfeeding attitude is a strong predictor of initiation and continuation of longer breastfeeding. This study focused on the creation and validation of a new measurement scale for breastfeeding attitude among childless females at one public higher education institution in Louisiana, the state with the lowest breastfeeding rates in the United States (66.2%). The analysis aimed to identify negative perceptions college-age females have that may hinder future intention and successful breastfeeding initiation. A convenience sample of 1016 childless, females, mean age 19.85±2.21 years, attending one public university in Louisiana took a cross-sectional, web-based survey. It contained 39 items including a new breastfeeding attitude scale, a future breastfeeding intention of a potential child question, and general demographic questions. The mean attitude score was 60.94 ± 7.44 (range 28-80) indicating a generally positive breastfeeding attitude. Over 91% had intention to breastfeed a potential future child. Cronbach’s alpha for the attitude scale was 0.796, indicating sufficient validity to measure breastfeeding attitude among the study sample. The correlation between breastfeeding attitude and breastfeeding intention was positive and significant (p ≤ 0.001). This study introduced a new and valid scale to measure the breastfeeding attitude among childless, college-age females. This scale may be used by college health professionals to assess breastfeeding attitudes among female students in potential family planning education outreach initiatives. Future research should aim to develop a more in-depth breastfeeding attitude scale among larger samples to identify what may specifically influence breastfeeding attitude among adult females without children.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Antibiotic Use among the Population of Boyolali, Indonesia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Misuse and overuse of antibiotics are potential causes of the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance (ABR). Having information about the knowledge, attitude, and practices concerning antibiotics use by the public might help control ABR growth. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the levels and associated factors of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of antibiotics use among the public. A questionnaire was designed and validated, which consisted of a total of 51 questions with four sections: demographics (6), knowledge (20), attitude (12), and practice (13) to measure KAP. Univariate analysis (using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis analysis) was applied to assess the differences in the mean scores of KAP. Linear regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with KAP. Finally, using Spearman analysis we have examined the correlation between responses to the KAP. The sample size of this study was 575, with a 99.96% response rate. Regarding knowledge, 73.12% of respondents stated that antibiotics could be used to treat viral infections, and 63.35% of respondents answered that antibiotics could reduce fever. Concerning attitude, 50% of respondents had considered stopping taking antibiotics as soon as symptoms had disappeared. In analyzing practice, we found 40% of respondents obtained antibiotics from a pharmacy without a prescription from a physician, a nurse, or a midwife. Statistical analysis revealed that KAP about antibiotic use was significantly associated with gender, area of residence, level of education, and monthly income (p < 0.05). Our findings concluded that men, respondents with low income, those with low-level education, and those living in rural areas are more prone to excessive use of antibiotics without knowing the adverse effects of improper use and how it can contribute to high ABR. So it is urgently necessary to strengthen policies on antibiotics use, including drug provision, distribution, and sales. In addition, people with low KAP should be a priority consideration in education outreach initiatives.

Fourth Annual Summer Research Summit on Health Equity Organized by the Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA on May 20, 2021.

ABSTRACT: Strengthening Our Commitment to Racial and Social Justice to Improve Public HealthThe fourth annual summer research summit organized by the Center of Excellence (COE) in Health Equity, Training and Research, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) was held on May 20, 2021. The theme of this year’s summit was ‘Strengthening Our Commitment to Racial and Social Justice to Improve Public Health.’ Given the ongoing pandemic, the summit was conducted virtually through digital platforms. This program was intended for both BCM and external audiences interested in advancing health equity, diversity and inclusion in healthcare among healthcare providers and trainees, biomedical scientists, social workers, nurses, individuals involved in talent acquisition and development such as hiring managers (HR professionals), supervisors, college and hospital affiliate leadership and administrators, as well as diversity and inclusion excellence practitioners. We had attendees from all regions of the United States, India, Pakistan and the Demographic Republic of the Congo. The content in this Book of s encapsulates a summary of the research efforts by the BCM COE scholars (which includes post-baccalaureate students, medical students, clinical fellows and junior faculty from BCM) as well as the external summit participants. The range of topics in this year’s summit was quite diverse encompassing disparities in relation to maternal and child health (MCH), immigrant heath, cancers, vaccination uptakes and COVID-19 infections. Various solutions were ardently presented to address these disparities including community engagement and partnerships, improvement in health literacy and development of novel technologies and therapeutics. With this summit, BCM continues to build on its long history of educational outreach initiatives to promote diversity in medicine by focusing on programs aimed at increasing the number of diverse and highly qualified medical professionals ready to introduce effective and innovative approaches to reduce or eliminate health disparities. These programs will improve information resources, clinical education, curricula, research and cultural competence as they relate to minority health issues and social determinants of health. The summit received very positive response in terms of zealous participation and outstanding evaluations; and overall, it was a great success.Copyright © 2021 Dongarwar et al. Published by Global Health and Education Projects, Inc. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0.

Abstract C056: Application of precision public health approaches to maximize limited resources for community-based liver cancer prevention educational sessions

Abstract Objectives: To address the growing liver cancer burden in the city of Philadelphia and support precision public health, we utilized existing data resources from our community health partners and the PA Department of Public Health to conduct a geospatial analysis that identified communities at the census tract level with both a higher than expected rate of liver cancer and a strong community partner presence to target for liver cancer prevention education. Methods: Pennsylvania(PA) Liver Cancer Registry data from 2007-2014 were linked to the address location of community partners associated with the Fox Chase Cancer Center at the census tract (CT) level using ArcGIS software. Space-time scan statistics (SatScan software) identified CTs with significantly elevated rates of incident liver cancer (p-value&amp;lt;0.05), adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, diagnosis year. Point locations of community partners were plotted against liver cancer cluster maps to identify existing community partners in those areas where liver cancer rates were higher than expected in Philadelphia. The Office of Community Outreach (OCO) worked with community partners in high risk areas to deliver bilingual (English-Spanish) liver cancer education sessions. Plain language materials were then developed by the OCO to support the program. Pre-post tests were administered utilizing automatic response system to assess the impact and utility of the educational sessions and the likelihood to change behavior. Results: Of the 386 census tracts in Philadelphia, 153 were found to have higher than expected rates of liver cancer. 15 of 65 existing community partners were located in a high risk census tract. OCO staff have embarked on an educational outreach initiative, working with the identified community partners, offering bilingual education. Preliminary results from pre-post surveys will be analyzed and presented. Conclusions: Coupling disease cluster and community partner data improves the identification of areas with a liver cancer burden and reduces intervention targets. These methods could be utilized in other cancer control settings to maximize limited resources and prioritize cancer prevention efforts. Citation Format: Evelyn T Gonzalez, Min Nguyen, Shannon Lynch. Application of precision public health approaches to maximize limited resources for community-based liver cancer prevention educational sessions [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr C056.

Lessons in making the unique ubiquitous: diversifying the role of the special collections and archives department to enhance teaching and learning at the University of Limerick

ABSTRACT The Special Collections and Archives Department (SpecColl) was established in the Glucksman Library at the University of Limerick (UL) in 1998. It is passionate about embedding its broad range of holdings in the university curriculum. Over the past twenty years, SpecColl has implemented an educational programme, building a network of longstanding academic contacts within the university, offering research assistance, and delivering a series of workshops catered to a variety of different student types across a broad range of disciplines. This article explores the growing educational focus of SpecColl in recent years, both in response to, and in anticipation of, the needs of faculty and students. The main body examines how SpecColl has developed its educational outreach initiatives to enhance teaching and learning at UL in line with key findings from its user statistics and student feedback. It explores the challenges faced by a specialized department in striving towards ubiquity on campus, and shares some of the lessons it has learned in its mission to make access to ‘special’ collections and archives a more ‘ordinary’ experience. The article concludes by imagining the future landscape of SpecColl, making a set of recommendations for the further development of educational activities at the department.

Can research align with service? Lessons learned from the Big Experiment and National Biomechanics Day

Public engagement is an important role for the university academic, but is often neglected due to perceived lack of time and prioritized commitments in research and teaching. Yet, public engagement events offer an untapped opportunity for researchers to collect data from members of the general public who arrive on site at university labs. These engagement events could allow for data collection as part of didactic and demonstrative outreach events to be used in research and science. In this proof of concept study, a collaborative group of international researchers investigated the feasibility of embedding research quality assessment into events surrounding National Biomechanics Day. The Big Experiment collected data on 501 secondary school students (age range: 13 to 18 years) across 9 university sites within a 24-hour period. Data included maximal vertical jump height and self-reported physical activity levels. Vertical jump height was positively correlated to participant height, but not age or body mass. Very physically active students had significantly higher vertical jump heights than individuals who reported being somewhat or not physically active. This feasibility project demonstrates that with substantial preparation and a simple research design, focused research questions can be incorporated into educational outreach initiatives and ultimately provide a rich data source.

Awareness of patients towards eye diseases in middle aged population in rural Odisha

Background: One of the most important public health issue for developing nations in the world with special reference to India is preventive blindness. In the world, 36 million people are blind and 217 million people are with moderate or severe distance vision impairment. The aim and objectives of the study were a qualitative survey to get an initial picture of rural residents knowledge of the prevalent eye disease; serve as an initial assessment of patient’s baseline knowledge of eye conditions and possible treatment methods to aid in the future development of educational outreach initiatives and studies.Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out in the rural areas of Jajpur, Nayagarh, Puri and Cuttack district of Odisha during preventive eye screening camps. The study was carried over 6 months from Jan to July 2018. The sample size was calculated to be 914 and the study subjects were all aged 40 years and above comprising of 64.7% male and 35.3% female.Results: In this study we found out that 60.18% reported previous eye doctor visits, 24.08% reported using eye drops prescribed by a non-doctor, while 60.18% of the non-doctor visitors reported not knowing that a doctor should prescribe eye drops. While 76.69% had little or no awareness regarding glaucoma, 51.87% had a fair idea regarding cataract surgery.Conclusions: The increase in patient awareness of prevalent eye diseases and treatments could lead to an increase in patient acceptance regarding the importance of routine eye examinations for proper identification and treatment of various eye conditions.

AACT seeks science coaches

The American Association of Chemistry Teachers (AACT) is seeking chemists for its Science Coaches program for the 2017–18 school year. The educational outreach initiative is dedicated to enhancing science skills in students across the U.S. The program pairs chemist coaches with AACT teacher members in elementary, middle, and high schools. Teachers accepted into the program will have the opportunity to form a valuable relationship with a coach who volunteers face-to-face or through a digital forum. To apply to be a science coach, visit www.acs.org/sciencecoaches or e-mail sciencecoaches@acs.org. Applications close on Aug. 15.

Ethics Consultation in Rehabilitation Counseling

The present study was designed to provide information about the content of the advisory opinions provided by the Ethics Committee of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. Specifically, a content analysis was performed on all of the advisory opinions rendered between March 1996 and November 2013. NVivo10 was utilized to systematically inspect the content of the opinions and describe emerging patterns. Results from the study revealed that most of the advisory opinions addressed ethical standards related to the counseling relationship, confidentiality, resolving ethical issues, and professional responsibility. Implications for future education outreach initiatives and research directions are discussed.

A Community-based Collaborative Approach to Improve Breast Cancer Screening in Underserved African American Women

Although African American women in the United States have a lower incidence of breast cancer compared with white women, those younger than 40 years actually have a higher incidence rate; additionally, African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer at every age compared with white women. Racial disparities in breast cancer mortality rates are especially significant in Maryland, which ranks fifth in the nation for breast cancer mortality, and in Baltimore City, which has the second highest annual death rate for African American women in Maryland. To address this disparity in care, Med-IQ, an accredited provider of CME, collaborated with Sisters Network Baltimore Metropolitan, Affiliate Chapter of Sisters Network® Inc., the only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization, to sponsor their community-based educational outreach initiative. The collaborative mission was to engage at-risk African American women, their families, local organizations, healthcare professionals, and clinics, with the goals of increasing awareness, addressing fears that affect timely care and diagnosis, and encouraging women to obtain regular mammograms. Intervention strategies included (1) a "Survivor Stories" video, (2) patient outreach consisting of neighborhood walks and an educational luncheon, and (3) a community outreach utilizing direct mailings to local businesses, community groups, and healthcare professionals. Trusted and well-known community resources were presented as mediums to promote the initiative, yielding achievement of broader and more effective outcomes. As a result of this patient-friendly initiative, two (2) of the women who sought screening were diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent treatment.

A pilot registry of unexplained fatiguing illnesses and chronic fatigue syndrome

BackgroundChronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has no diagnostic clinical signs or biomarkers, so diagnosis requires ruling out conditions with similar signs and symptoms. We conducted a pilot registry of unexplained fatiguing illnesses and CFS to determine the feasibility of establishing and operating a registry and implementing an education outreach initiative. The pilot registry was conducted in Bibb County, Georgia. Patient referrals were obtained from healthcare providers who were identified by using various education outreach initiatives. These referrals were later supplemented with self-referrals by members of a local CFS support group. All patients meeting referral criteria were invited to participate in a screening interview to determine eligibility. If patients met registry criteria, they were invited to a one-day clinic for physical and laboratory evaluations. We classified patients based on the 1994 case definition.ResultsWe registered 827 healthcare providers. Forty-two providers referred 88 patients, and 58 patients (66%) completed clinical evaluation. Of the 188 CFS support group members, 53 were self-referred and 46 (87%) completed the clinical evaluation. Of the 104 participants completing evaluation, 36% (n = 37) met the criteria for CFS, 17% (n = 18) had insufficient fatigue or symptoms (ISF), and 47% (n = 49) were found to have exclusionary medical or psychiatric illnesses. Classification varied significantly by type of referral but not by previous history of CFS diagnosis. Healthcare providers referred more patients who were classified as CFS as compared to support group referrals in which more exclusionary conditions were identified. Family practice and internal medicine specialties made the most referrals and had the highest number of CFS cases. We conducted three CME events, held three “Meet and Greet” sessions, visited four large clinical health practices and health departments, mailed five registry newsletters, and conducted in-person office visits as part of education outreach, which contributed to patient referrals.ConclusionsReferrals from healthcare providers and self-referrals from the patient support group were important to registry enrollment. The number of potentially treatable conditions that were identified highlights the need for continued medical management in this population, as well as the limitations of registries formed without clinical examination. Education initiatives were successful in part because of partnerships with local organizations.

Perceived Effectiveness of Elder Abuse Interventions in Psychological Distress and the Design of Culturally Adapted Interventions: A Qualitative Study in the Chinese Community in Chicago

This qualitative study examines US Chinese older adults' views on the perceived effectiveness, challenges, and cultural adaptations of elder abuse interventions to psychological distress in the Chinese community in Chicago. A community-based participatory research approach was implemented to partner with the Chinese community. A total of 37 community-dwelling Chinese older adults (age 60+) participated in focus group discussions. Data analysis was based on grounded theory framework. Our findings suggest that older adults perceived social support, empowerment, and community-based interventions design as most effective to promote psychological well-being of victims. The perceived preferences were similar between elder abuse victims and non-victims. Strategies to culturally adapt evidence-based interventions were proposed with respect to nurturing filial piety values, familial integrations, and increased independence. Research and educational outreach initiatives were also discussed. This study has wide policy and practice implications for designing and deploying interventions to reduce psychological distress with respect to elder abuse outcome. Cultural relevancy of health interventions is important in the context of the Chinese communities. Collective federal, state, and community efforts are needed to support the culturally appropriate design and implementation of interventions suitable for the needs of the Chinese older adults.

NASA's explorer school and spaceward bound programs: Insights into two education programs designed to heighten public support for space science initiatives

Introduction NASA has played an influential role in bringing the enthusiasm of space science to schools across the United States since the 1980s. The evolution of this public outreach has led to a variety of NASA funded education programs designed to promote student interest in science, technology, engineering, math, and geography (STEM-G) careers. Purpose This paper investigates the educational outreach initiatives, structure, and impact of two of NASA's largest educational programs: the NASA Explorer School (NES) and NASA Spaceward Bound programs. Results Since its induction in 2003 the NES program has networked and provided resources to over 300 schools across the United States. Future directions include further development of mentor schools for each new NES school selected, while also developing a longitudinal student tracking system for NES students to monitor their future involvement in STEM-G careers. The Spaceward Bound program, now in its third year of teacher outreach, is looking to further expand its teacher network and scientific collaboration efforts, while building on its teacher mentorship framework.

Fun City: Kenneth Koch among Schoolchildren

�� ��� In 1973 a boy from the inner city wandered into my rural community to teach me about the powers of imagination. I was only nine years old at the time. He looked to be a few years younger. He arrived alone, kicking cans in a trash-strewn lot before venturing out onto a busy street, the shadows of tall buildings hiding his movements, until at last he hit an open stretch of pavement and faced the glare of sun-bleached sidewalks. Harried passersby paid him little notice, but a voice told of his predicament. “To a child who can’t read, the world is a closed book” (“Shadows”). For a long time the boy appeared to be forlorn and downcast, anonymous amidst the teeming crowds, but then he spotted a Bookmobile across the street. Curious, he decided to pop in and browse the selections, eventually choosing I am Somebody, a book whose title echoed the self-empowerment messages that Jesse Jackson and other liberal activists were disseminating to urban youth during this era. Book in hand, the boy hopped from the Bookmobile and ran down excitedly to the banks of the East River. Before he disappeared, I saw him with his new prize open upon his knees. He was smiling and mouthing its words in an open air library, his back propped up against a pier stanchion. A few feet behind him, a murky waterway rippled and glistened in the sunshine. As it turns out, millions of Americans welcomed this child into their homes. He was the subject of a successful television advertising campaign for Reading is Fundamental (RIF), an educational outreach initiative based in Washington, D.C. Like the vacant lots and polluted waterways he encountered on his daily rambles, this boy’s prospects had suffered greatly from societal ignorance and condescension, a dynamic reinforced infamously by Daniel Patrick Moynihan when he recommended a governmental policy of “benign neglect.” The activists at RIF sought to redress persistent cultural imbalances by giving underprivileged city children free books (“for keeps,” their commercial had promised). By so doing, they provided a boost to Great Society programs like Head Start. Since RIF first organized its program in the mid-1960s, various mainstream media

Sun protection fun (SPF): An educational outreach initiative aimed at protecting children

Sun protection fun (SPF): An educational outreach initiative aimed at protecting children

Use of Technology to Bridge the Gap in Science Education and Health: An Educational Outreach Initiative, 2000-2006

Use of Technology to Bridge the Gap in Science Education and Health: An Educational Outreach Initiative, 2000-2006