Project Grant R25GM150172

PBS NEWSHOUR STEM STORYMAKER: PROJECT-BASED LEARNING FOR YOUTH HEALTH LITERACY AND BIOMEDICAL CAREER AWARENESS THROUGH JOURNALISM AND STORYTELLING - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT THE NEED FOR HEALTH LITERACY AND A DIVERSE, SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS HEALTH WORKFORCE IS MORE EVIDENT THAN EVER AFTER TWO AND A HALF YEARS NAVIGATING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC, AND GROWING MENTAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CRISES. THIS PROPOSAL FROM PBS NEWSHOUR STUDENT REPORTING LABS (SRL), A TEEN-DRIVEN PROGRAM FROM THE NATION'S MOST TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE, BUILDS FROM THE SUCCESSES OF PREVIOUS SEPA WORK TO PROVIDE HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH WITH: 1.) TOOLS TO CREATE EVIDENCE-BASED AND ETHICALLY RESPONSIBLE JOURNALISM (PRIMARILY 1-4 MINUTE VIDEOS) ABOUT CRITICAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT IMPACT THEIR COMMUNITIES; 2.) INTRODUCTIONS AND INROADS TO HEALTH SCIENCE CAREERS THAT USE STORYTELLING TO ENGAGE A DIVERSE RANGE OF STUDENTS; AND 3.) STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AROUND HEALTH SCIENCE, INCLUDING INTERGENERATIONAL DIALOGUE AND SOCIAL MEDIA BEST-PRACTICES, FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE INITIATIVE WILL PROVIDE A STRONG FOUNDATION OF SUPPORT FOR TEENS, EDUCATORS, AND OTHER SEPA PROGRAM LEADERS TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT DISTRIBUTED TO PEERS THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE STUDENT JOURNALISM NETWORK, ONLINE LEARNING PLATFORMS, AND TRADITIONAL AND DIGITAL BROADCASTING. A PREVIOUS SEPA SUMMATIVE EVALUATION LARGELY SERVES AS THE FRONT-END EVALUATION FOR THIS PROPOSED PROJECT. RESEARCHERS AT KNOLOGY WILL USE YEAR 1 TO UPDATE ALL EVALUATION INSTRUMENTS AND CREATE A MIXED-METHODS EVALUATION WITH STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS IN YEARS 2-4 OF THE GRANT FOR BOTH FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE PURPOSES. FINDINGS WILL MEASURE THE IMPACT ON PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING OTHER SEPA PROJECTS, AND RESULT IN A MAP OF THE FULL ECOSYSTEM OF HEALTH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES CREATED DURING THE GRANT PERIOD AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS, INCLUDING STUDENT-CREATED STORIES, HEALTH PRACTITIONER PROFILES, LESSON PLANS AND OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. STUDENT-PRODUCED VIDEOS WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH EXPERTLY- CRAFTED EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES DISTRIBUTED TO A WIDE NATIONAL AUDIENCE OF TEACHERS, FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATORS, AND STEM PROGRAM LEADERS. THROUGH THESE ELEMENTS - STUDENT HEALTH JOURNALISM, HEALTH SCIENCE CAREER CONTENT, AND STORYTELLING STRATEGIES FOR SCIENCE COMMUNICATION - THE PROJECT WILL DRIVE ENGAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING AROUND HEALTH SCIENCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN YOUNG PEOPLE TO SUPPORT AN INFORMED, INQUISITIVE, AND INVOLVED CITIZENRY.