Nancy P. Moreno

Strengthening Environmental Health Literacy Through Precollege STEM and Environmental Health Education

High quality science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education provides a strong foundation for developing the environmental health literacy of students in grades pre-Kindergarten through 12 (pK-12). STEM learning inside and out of school develops the critical thinking, communications and numeracy skills, along with deep knowledge of systems and processes, that are necessary for the informed evaluation and use of environmental health information in everyday life.

Linking science education and HIV using viral biology, epidemiology and science practices

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary, discovery-oriented teaching unit designed to provide science and health information about HIV from the perspective of viral biology, population statistics and epidemiology. Design: Single group pre- and post-curriculum pilot study. Setting: Fifteen middle and high school classrooms recruited from districts in and around a large, diverse, urban area in the mid-southern USA. Method: Science educators, clinicians, virologists and biologists collaborated to develop a set of five activities intended to increase content knowledge related to HIV, while developing students’ science-related skills in the context of an authentic, relevant example. The activities were piloted with six hundred and twenty-four 12- to 18-year-old students. Multiple-choice pre- and post-tests were used to assess changes in students’ knowledge, and teacher evaluations were used to gauge appropriateness of content, ease of activity implementation and teacher perceptions of student skill development, learning and engagement. Results: Student pre- and post-tests and teacher post-evaluations indicated that the curriculum was effective in increasing content knowledge for students across all age ranges, with 13- to 14-year-old, grade 8 students achieving the greatest knowledge gains. Teacher-reported information also suggested that students were able to apply relevant skills to their interpretation of authentic data related to the incidence and transmission of HIV infection around the world. Conclusion: The developed activities have the potential to provide timely, relevant information to students while strengthening science-related content knowledge and skills as well as health literacy.

Improving science literacy and education through space life sciences

The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) encourages open involvement by scientists and the public at large in the Institutes activities. Through its Education and Public Outreach Program, the Institute is supporting national efforts to improve Kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) and undergraduate education and to communicate knowledge generated by space life science research to lay audiences. Three academic institution Baylor College of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Texas A&M University are designing, producing, field-testing, and disseminating a comprehensive array of programs and products to achieve this goal. The objectives of the NSBRI Education and Public Outreach program are to: promote systemic change in elementary and secondary science education; attract undergraduate students--especially those from underrepresented groups--to careers in space life sciences, engineering and technology-based fields; increase scientific literacy; and to develop public and private sector partnerships that enhance and expand NSBRI efforts to reach students and families.