The My Health My World project at Baylor College of Medicine has produced discovery-oriented educational units for K-4 students and families on topics in the environmental health sciences. Produced collaboratively by teachers, scientists, parents and physicians, each unit consists of a colorful adventure story book, a guide for teachers to hands-on activities and a mini-magazine to be shared with family members. Three units will have been produced by the conclusion of the materials development phase of the project in June, 1997. The materials are written in Spanish and in English. Each unit is field tested by teachers and students in Austin and Houston, Texas, and Washington, D.C. A national dissemination plan is proposed to provide educational opportunities for large numbers of teachers, students and parents to understand the vital relationship between the environment and health, and to learn to develop healthy behaviors. This will be accomplished by: (1) establishing a national network of seven My Health My World Dissemination Centers; (2) providing professional development opportunities to approximately 3,000 teachers annually through the centers and at national meetings; (3) providing on-line services and a World Wide Web site on environmental health science issues and education; and (4) providing 12 HealthLine radio stories per year to over 2,500 radio stations. These proposed activities have the potential to directly impact more than 350,000 students and families over three years. All proposed activities involve collaboration among scientists, practicing teachers, physicians, parents, and science and health education specialists.
| Moreno, N P; Tharp, B Z (1999) An interdisciplinary national program developed at Baylor to make science exciting for all K-5 students. Acad Med 74:345-7 |
