Secondary school women and minority students and their teachers from throughout the state of California will be selected for an opportunity for intensive study in the field of drug abuse research and a unique partnership with practicing scientists in the field. Mentorships will be encouraged and developed with this proposal; scientists, promising students and the involved, motivated teacher. The activities of the proposal include: 1) An intensive summer institute involving women and minority secondary students, along with their teachers and practicing scientists in the behavioral and biomedical fields of science, 2) Assistance for institute participants to perform action research at their school site with their teacher mentor and involvement from scientists in the students' local area, and 3) Support for students to present research in local area and enter it into a national competition. Secondary activities of the grant will include intensive instruction on the research process, career exposure to the drug abuse research field, needed connections between health and science education reform efforts, and progressive instructional strategy and content knowledge improvement for high school teachers. Called Project D.A.R.T., or Drug Abuse Research Teams, this project attempts to install important components for women and minorities effective entrance into the science research field. Research is clear that the value of this type of relationship; scientists-teacher-student, can be very effective as a positive influence for further success in the field of science.
