Camp PathOLogical: An Innovative Summer School Program for High School Students Addressing Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Disease and Related Clinical/Translational Research

Abstract

Abstract This resource provides the material necessary to implement a 5-week inquiry-based informal science education summer program focused on the enrichment, awareness, and literacy of biomedical and health sciences. The program is designed to increase high school students' knowledge and interest in biomedical sciences and to increase postsecondary attendance for life science career choices. The program utilizes a combination of activities including problem-based learning, standardized patients, and dissection to teach the pathologic basis of disease and to demonstrate how this knowledge guides critical thinking required for diagnosis, management, and prognostication. This resource provides a novel approach to focusing on a health disparity issue that is highly prevalent in our students' communities. Provided materials include the rationale and evidence used to develop the curriculum as well as implementation recommendations based on our teams experience with the content. The lesson plans are based on an informal science education program originally designed for underrepresented and underserved high school students; however, educators with non-minority students interested in implementing a health-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program will find these lessons useful.

Keywords

• Social Determinants of Health
• Health Equity Research
• Adolescent
• Diabetes
• Healthcare Disparities
• Obesity