wake forest university
Cherokee MedCaT Academy Medical Career and Technology: Enriched Student Experiences in Health Careers
Program Description
MedCaT is a partnership between the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Wake Forest University (WFU), and the Center for Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Learning (CERTL), the Northwest Area Health Education Center (NW AHEC) of WFU Health Sciences (WFUHS), and the Center for Native Health, Inc to educate North Carolina American Indian students about careers in health sciences, while giving their teachers new tools to motivate and excite them about science and math. Since program inception, more than 50 Western North Carolina high school students and 10 high school teachers have gone to the Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem. The goals of the program are to: provide students with culturally-based science programs in a university setting, using Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methodology; familiarize students with career opportunities in health care and biotechnology; and prepare students for science enrichment activities through follow-up sessions during the school year.
MedCaT offers three sustainability features that ensures that its impact is deep and has a prolonged trajectory: 1) the development of student cohorts who receive support, and are able to support each other, throughout the school year; 2) the inclusion of respected teachers in PBL exercises, who serve as mentors and facilitators during the academy and who connect more deeply with their students through interactive pedagogy; 3) follow-up activities during the school year that reinforce student confidence, re-energize cohorts, and mentor students as they approach the college application process. Outcomes measured include: student knowledge acquisition and application; student participant feedback on the program's successes and needs for improvement; and teacher feedback on professional development training.
Format
Year-round program
Eligibility
Middle and high school students
Contact
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