Connecting Classrooms and Community with the Health Sciences

An outreach program in rural New England schools Madeline Dalton Greg DeFrancis Ann-Christine Duhaime Meghan Longacre Ardis Olsen James Sargent In this five-year initiative, Montshire science educators and four Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) research teams will collaborate to create outreach programs for students in grades 5-8 located in rural Vermont and New Hampshire schools. Montshire educators will deliver programs reflecting topics of the DMS research teams. Montshire's educators will also adapt the school-based programming to include special family activities and presentations for museum visitors. The objectives of the project are to: Expose participants to the interesting and relevant research taking place locally, and create opportunities for participants to learn more about the relevant science and processes of doing research. Increase participants' understanding of the diversity of health science careers. Provide participants with information that will assist in making personal health decisions in the subject areas. Raise participants' awareness of the ways that culture and media affect their choices. The four project modules will be: 1. How Family and Environment Influence Adolescent Diet, Activity, and Obesity, with Dr. Madeline Dalton, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Community and Family Medicine and Director, Hood Center for Children and Families and Dr. Meghan Longacre, Investigator, Community Health Research Program, Hood Center for Children and Families. 2. Effects of Media on Teen Perceptions of Alcohol and Tobacco, with Dr. James Sargent, Professor of Pediatrics and Community and Family Medicine. 3. Safe Practices Regarding Exposure to Solar Radiation, with Dr. Ardis Olson, Professor of Pediatrics and Community and Family Medicine. 4. Investigating the Brain: Understanding the Anatomy of the Brain and How to Keep It Healthy, with Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime, Professor of Surgery, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Community and Family Medicine. Project Principals: P.I. Greg DeFrancis, Director of Education, Montshire Museum of Science greg.defrancis@montshire.org Scientific Advisors: Madeline Dalton Meghan Longacre James Sargent Ardis Olsen Ann-Christine Duhaime Project dates: September 30, 2009 - September 29, 2014 Project funding: Source: Science Education Partnership Award, National Center for Research Resources, NIH. Grant Recipient: Montshire Museum of Science Project budget: $777,000 Other materials: NIH-SEPA Poster [pdf] MMS-SEPA Flyer [pdf]