Worlds of Connections, through a partnership with NE STEM 4U after-school clubs, used best practices in science education to engage underserved middle school youth. In the process, the project promoted public understanding of National Institutes of Health-funded research using network science to improve public health. Our fully integrated, crosscutting approach combined network science, dynamic narratives, social engagement, inquiry, and emerging media arts. We tried to assess if our efforts improve youth understanding of network science for health and interest in biomedical careers.
In addition to direct interaction with youth in after-school clubs, the project supported the ability of science, technology, engineering, and math teachers to give all youth opportunities to consider network science health careers. Annual Science Connectors in partnership with Lincoln Public Schools’ Science Curriculum Specialist enhanced teacher knowledge and incorporation of network science.
We held a pilot Network Science Institute with middle school teachers and network scientists in the summer of 2020. We continued to explore avenues of integrating network science into middle school curriculum and insights from teachers for enhancing informal science activities.
In years three, four, five, and six (no-cost extension year), the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln helped the team to create stories using VR to engage youth with network science for health. The Johnny Carson students, staff, and faculty worked with NE STEM 4U youth and teachers from Lincoln Public Schools to create the VR experience to help disseminate network science for health approaches beyond Nebraska.
The diagram summarizes the parts of the projects that helped us work toward our specific aims.
This website is supported by the Worlds of Connections SEPA [R25GM129836] at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. This content is solely the responsibility of the creators and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health or the University of Nebraska.