Developing scientists is a priority of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and this continuation project. The overall aim of this competing continuation application for a Science Education Drug Abuse Partnership Award Project (SEDAPA) is to extend the development and implementation of a curriculum and manual for high school young women to middle school girls in sixth to eighth grade who live in rural Appalachian Kentucky.
The specific aims for the project are: (1) To increase the scientific, technological and interpersonal knowledge as well as skills of participating middle-school girls ages 11 to 15 from rural Appalachian Kentucky; (2) To increase the knowledge of parents and middle schoolteachers on gender equity strategies, and teaching techniques to increase the science participation of middle school girls in rural Appalachian Kentucky; (3) To develop and disseminate a model curriculum to enhance science as well as drug abuse research in rural Appalachian Kentucky; and (4) To develop and disseminate a guide for """"""""Promoting Gender Equity in the Classroom"""""""" to enhance science education in rural and Appalachian areas. This competing continuation application focuses on 120 rural Appalachian Kentucky girls entering the sixth grade from 21 rural counties; 120 to 240 parents of these girls; and at least 30 rural middle school teachers from the same 21 rural counties. Project Summer Institutes, Saturday Sessions, and scientific as well as community mentoring opportunities will continue for participating girls. For this competing continuation application, younger girls (middle school) will be targeted; workshops for parents and teachers will be added; 21 rather than 14 rural counties will be included; current project participants will be involved as mentors; Chris in Drug Abuse Science Clubs will be added; the Kentucky Department of Education along with project staff will work to promote Gender Equity in all middle schools in Kentucky; and the replication manual will be expanded for girls in grades 6 to 8 to produce a complete and comprehensive manual across grades 6 to 12 for replication in other rural and Appalachian areas.
