Programs for Educators
EHS Summer Institute
The Environmental Health Sciences Summer Institute is a four-day teacher development conference that introduces Texas K-12 educators to new curricular materials that explore the critical interrelationships between human health and the environment. The Summer Institute consists of a series of one- to two-day sessions focusing on gene/environment interactions, risk assessment, toxicology, Molecular Carcinogenesis, molecular and cellular biology, organ systems, indoor and outdoor air pollution, lead poisoning, water quality and many more. The Institute employs a unique approach to disseminating and integrating the curricular materials by using environmental health and science as an integrating context. This approach furthers the development of students' higher-order thinking skills by providing a practical and relevant context for learning. Participating teachers are not only introduced to scientific content and processes, but are also provided numerous ways in which to address subject integration, especially with respect to the language arts.
Summer Educator Fellowships
Each summer, the COEP provides 3-5 fellowships for K-12 educators. The majority of the teachers who participate in the summer program are from local Independent School Districts. Teacher fellows work with the COEP for 4-6 weeks to translate scientific research findings into age-appropriate educational materials. During their fellowship, teachers rotate through Science Park Facility Core labs where they learn about new laboratory techniques. Teacher fellows also assist with COEP presentations at professional development conferences, such as the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching (CAST) and the EHS Summer Institute. For additional Fellowship details please contact: (512) 237-9513 or coep@mdanderson.org
Educational Websites
Veggie-Mon
The Veggie-Mon website focuses on the major environmental factors affecting environmental disease susceptibility and and encourages healthy lifestyle choices that reduce risk. At the site, students are introduced to Veggie-Mon, Sun Spot, Informative Fish and Igna-Ray-Mouse, who guide them to scientific information pages, experiments, healthy recipes, games, quizzes and a glossary. The Veggie-Mon website is ideal for 4th to 8th grade students. Graphics and animations were designed with the limitations of school and publicly accessible computers in mind.
SCREAM
Student Cancer Research Education and Assessment Module (SCREAM) presents information about how the interaction between individual genetics and the environment determines disease risk. SCREAM contains current scientific information along with interactive, animated learning exercises, virtual experiments and self-tests. The goal of the module is to enhance environmental health and science education and includes sections on genetics, cell cycle, gene mutation and environmental risk factors. SCREAM was designed for 9th to 12th grade students.
CENTIPEDe
Community Education Networks to Integrate Prevention of Environmental Disease (CENTIPEDe) provides resources and information about the causes and prevention of environmental disease that promote scientific literacy, enhance science education, and stimulate interest in science and health careers.