feature story
The University of Washington (UW) offers local K-12 students a broad selection of programs to inspire them to pursue careers in math and science. They range from one-time, on-campus programs to long-term initiatives formed with Washington state schools. These programs seek to make science accessible to as many young people as possible — especially those from populations traditionally underrepresented in the sciences.
University of Washington
One popular program for area high school students is UW’s annual Math Day. During Math Day, School of Pharmacy professors and students give presentations on how math is used in the pharmacy profession and discuss career opportunities. Their lesson on how to create hair gel is always a hit. Two other on-campus programs, U-DOC and Project HOPE (Health Occupation Preparation Experience), provide educational opportunities for underserved or disadvantaged high school students. U-DOC is a three-week program in which attendees learn about health careers—including pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences—and life on a university campus. Project HOPE offers students summer internships at healthcare facilities, including the UW Medical Center. Interns placed at the UW Medical Center also attend pharmacy workshops led by Pharm.D. candidates. A program that reaches out to even younger students—the Community Health Advancement Program (CHAP)—allows UW student pharmacists to mentor children at a Seattle middle school. They regularly meet with English-as-a-second language students at the school to talk about healthy lifestyle choices, ranging from self-image to anti-smoking.
University of Washington (UW) School of Pharmacy K-12 programs seek to make science accessible to as many young people as possible—especially those from populations traditionally underrepresented in the sciences. Project HOPE offers students summer internships at healthcare facilities, including the UW Medical Center. Interns placed at the UW Medical Center also attend pharmacy workshops led by Pharm.D. candidates.
academic Pharmacy now Apr/May/Jun 2010
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