Community Outreach and Education Program
In today's society, there is an increasing need to understand the impact of environmental exposures on human health. The Community Outreach & Education Program (COEP) at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park-Research Division develops and conducts programs to enhance K-12 science education, improve scientific literacy and increase public appreciation of research into the causes and prevention of environmental diseases, including cancer. An important goal of these educational programs is to provide scientifically accurate information that allows teachers and their students to make informed decisions about the environment and their health. To accomplish this goal, the COEP conducts a number of projects aimed at providing broad based support of the K-12 community through development of innovative classroom lesson and activity plans, novel curricula, professional development programs for teachers and career development opportunities for students. Under the umbrella of the COEP is The Community Outreach & Education Core (COEC) part of the Center for Research on Environmental Disease (CRED). For more information on COEC programing, please visit the CRED website. Need additional information or have a question or comment? Please contact COEP staff at coep@mdanderson.org.
MIDAS
The MIDAS Project (Models of Implementation and Dissemination of Environmental Health & Science Across Subjects) seeks to improve the understanding of environmental health and science by teachers and their students and enable both to make informed decisions about the environment and their health. Phase I of this dual phase project includes the integrated implementation of environmental health and science (EHS) modules across existing K-12 curriculum in a model school system. Phase II includes the continuation and expansion of the statewide teacher training institute for K-12 educators, which introduces new environmental health and scienc educational modules and materials.
EXPORT
Project EXPORT (Excellence in Partnerships for community Outreach Research on health disparities and Training) is funded by the National Center on Minority Health & Health Disparities of the NIH. A major goal of Project EXPORT is to create educational programs for underrepresented minorities that increase awareness of and preparation for scientific, research and health-related careers. Project EXPORT creates an education, training and mentoring pipeline for minority students spanning from K-12 through undergraduate education to post-graduate science and nursing programs. EXPORT also supports recruitment and training of postdoctoral fellows in community-based participatory research and environmental health studies.
STEER
The NIEHS STEER (Short Term Research Educational Experiences for Research) program supports the continuation and expansion of the EHS Summer Undergraduate Research Program (EHS-SURP), the EHS High School Research Program (EHS-HSRP) and the Public Health Student Internship. The overall goal of EHS-SURP/EHS-HSRP is to provide an authentic, hands-on, academic or summer research experience for talented undergraduate/high school students with the objective of promoting careers in environmental science and health research. The goal of the Public Health Internship is to provide practicum experience and extend studies into the arena of public health research and policy.
CURBING
The goal of the CURBING tobacco project is to design, implement, and evaluate an innovative, Web-based, tobacco prevention and cessation program for adolescents. Specifically designed for high school students, the program will be an interactive experience utilizing video-game components. It will be tailored to the teen's smoking status and spit-tobacco (ST) use. In addition, the proposed program will meet several Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS/TAKS) objectives and National Science Education Standards and/ or Health Standards.
CENTIPEDe
The goal of Project CENTIPEDe (Community Education Networks To Integrate Prevention of Environmental Disease) is to enhance scientific education and literacy in rural communities. Project CENTIPEDe will create a self-sustaining, learning network to improve K-12 scientific education through development and dissemination of inquiry-based educational materials, career development for K-12 students, comprehensive professional development programs for teachers and increase scientific literacy through a community education program that enhances public understanding of current research discoveries and encourages involvement in K-12 education.