Elizabeth Edmondson, Ph.D., a analysis professor within the Division of Instructing and Studying within the Virginia Commonwealth College Faculty of Schooling, was not too long ago awarded a $1.3 million grant from the Nationwide Institutes of Well being to launch a undertaking that can help highschool lecturers as they foster curiosity in well being sciences careers for highschool college students throughout Virginia in traditionally underserved city and rural areas.
The five-year undertaking, Pathways for Genuine Instructing of Well being Sciences (PATHS), will present 60 lecturers with curriculum help {and professional} growth to interact and put together college students thinking about pursuing careers in well being professions, together with medical lab sciences, bodily remedy and occupational remedy, radiation science and dental hygiene.
“We count on that this undertaking will convey consciousness of careers in well being professions in addition to the disparities in well being care,” Edmondson stated. “We consider that the supply of assets developed by the undertaking and the skilled growth will help lecturers and their communities.”
Many secondary and postsecondary college students are unfamiliar with the array of careers accessible within the well being professions, she stated, and the undertaking goals to lift consciousness of the numerous alternatives that college students may be thinking about pursuing.
“Well being professions provide college students the chance to enter the career from quite a lot of trajectories,” she stated. “College students could obtain well being skilled certification after finishing highschool applications, group school, or four- to six-year school applications. This number of entry factors and pathways permits a person to proceed their training as wanted or desired.”
As a part of the undertaking, lecturers will take part in two summer season institutes and can obtain help throughout school-year follow-up periods and digital teaching. The undertaking workforce and the Virginia Space Well being Schooling Facilities will help lecturers and their college students with sharing their studying at group well being festivals, STEM festivals and different pupil analysis conferences.
“If the PATHS program is profitable in undertaking our goals, we consider we’ll improve consciousness and understanding amongst college students and lecturers,” Edmondson stated. “This resulting in elevated enrollment in applications in STEM-H and an improved understanding of well being points.”
Along with Edmondson, the undertaking will contain Lisa Abrams, Ph.D., a professor and interim chair of the Division of Foundations of Schooling within the Faculty of Schooling; Hillary Parkhouse, Ph.D., an affiliate professor within the Faculty of Schooling; Angela Duncan, Ph.D., the affiliate dean for range, inclusion and fairness and an assistant professor within the Faculty of Well being Professions; and Yonella Demars, Ph.D., an assistant professor within the Faculty of Well being Professions.
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