We are excited to support the Health In Our Hands (HiOH) team from Michigan State University in their work of developing, testing, and implementing science learning materials; blending classroom instruction and community-based learning; and examining how a community partnership can help support student science learning. This five-year, $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health Science Education Partnership Award (NIH-SEPA) will give students and community members opportunities to understand, explain and apply ideas about health-related phenomena to their lives. Students will use two science curriculum units that the HiOH team previously created to investigate diabetes and addiction. By learning what controls their health, young people can understand that their genes are not the only thing that controls their health. They can make decisions and take actions to impact their own lives and the lives of their loved ones.
The evaluation will examine successes and challenges of project implementation and the impact of the project on students, teachers, and the community. The evaluation will also support the community coalition in conducting a self-assessment of its processes and structures. This information will help the coalition to strengthen its impact and build stronger community connections to support student science learning.
Read more about the project here: https://hioh.education/ and read the press release here: https://edwp.educ.msu.edu/news/2019/1-2m-grant-puts-health-in-the-hands-of-students-community/