A program aimed at strengthening the math and science curricula among American Indian youth in Nebraska and South Dakota will continue thanks to the renewal of the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA).
The $1.25 million grant to UNMC has been renewed for another five years through the National Institutes of Health.
Since 2005 when it was initially funded, 280 middle school students and 83 teachers, who teach science on reservation schools, have participated in the program. Through summer science camps, teacher workshops and site visits, the SEPA program has developed partnerships with schools and communities on six reservations in Nebraska and South Dakota.
“The close ties that we have forged have enabled innovative cooperation for science enrichment among students and teachers,” said Maurice Godfrey, Ph.D., principal investigator on the grant and a professor with the Munroe-Meyer Institute for Genetics and Rehabilitation.
“I’ve been involved in this program since the beginning,” said Liliana Bronner, SEPA program coordinator, and instructor and clinical education manager in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. “With time, our partner schools and communities have seen us demonstrate our commitment to them and their youth, leading to steady growth in the programs and outreach we provide.”
This grant not only allows Dr. Godfrey and Bronner to continue to work with middle school students but also provides funding for a high school summer science camp, as well as the addition of behavioral health workshops to bring behavioral health career awareness to the school partners, Dr. Godfrey said.
A further focus of the grant is developing science curriculum around the use of aquaponics.
“Aquaponics is a way to grow plants (fruits and vegetables) and fish (protein) in one ecosystem,” Dr. Godfrey said. “There are numerous science lessons that can be done at all grade levels using these systems.”
A pilot program around aquaponics was implemented at Wagner Community School in Wagner, S.D., and with the new grant funding it will be expanded to other partner schools, he said.
How wonderful! Congratulations!