Document text
Principal Investigator: Kathleen M Gray
Organization: UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $247,705
Funding agency: National Institute of General Medical Sciences
Iterative Design to Engage All Learners
ABSTRACT
In 2016, high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were discovered in the Cape Fear
River in eastern North Carolina (NC), part of NC's largest watershed and drinking water supply for over 1 million
people. More recently, PFAS were detected in central NC, in the Haw River, which supplies drinking water for
Pittsboro, NC, and in Jordan Lake, a recreational reservoir that also provides drinking water for several cities in
the Research Triangle area. Although PFAS contamination has been detected in 49 states, biomedical
researchers in NC are leading the way nationally in assessing the extent of PFAS contamination in waterways
and air and in conducting studies on the effects of PFAS on human and ecosystem health. These chemicals
have been used since the 1950s in a wide range of consumer products and have been found in the blood of
people and animals worldwide. Research suggests that PFAS are harmful to human and animal health, with
documented immune system impacts that may influence individual susceptibility to COVID-19. Using cutting-
edge, interdisciplinary research on PFAS as a foundation, the Center for Public Engagement with Science in
the UNC Institute for the Environment, proposes Iterative Design to Engage All (IDEA) Learners, with a goal
of building the capacity of NC teachers, especially those in economically disadvantaged communities and those
impacted by PFAS contamination, to introduce current biomedical science and career opportunities to diverse
students. We will accomplish this goal through three specific aims: (1) Apply design thinking and design-based
research approaches to co-develop, implement, and revise standards-aligned curriculum units that feature
current research on the health effects of PFAS; (2) Increase teacher knowledge of current PFAS research and
self-efficacy for incorporating current biomedical science into classroom instruction; and (3) Support participating
teachers in promoting biomedical research careers to diverse students. Over five years, IDEA Learners will
result in two curriculum units with up to eight PFAS-focused lessons that have been designed for NGSS and
incorporate research-generated data and science and engineering practices relevant to biomedical research
careers. These units will include videos that highlight diverse environmental health sciences researchers.
Through long-duration professional development (PD), 48 teachers will deepen their content knowledge and
improve their self-efficacy, positioning them to increase URM and female students' interest in current biomedical
science instruction. An additional 48 teachers will participate in short-duration PD, and all teachers will have the
potential to reach over 30,000 students during the project period. The project will lead to enhanced capacity to
offer inclusive learning environments and improved support for URM, female, and LEP students, ultimately
cultivating a more diverse future biomedical research workforce.
Terms: <Address><Air><Animals><Area><Biomedical Research><Blood><Blood Reticuloendothelial System><COVID-19 predisposition><COVID-19 susceptibility><COVID-19 vulnerability><Chemicals><Cities><Clothing><Collaborations><Community of Practice><Coronavirus disease 2019 predisposition><Coronavirus disease 2019 susceptibility><Coronavirus disease 2019 vulnerability><County><Curriculum><Data><Development><Ecologic Systems><Ecological Systems><Economically Deprived><Ecosystem><Education><Educational Curriculum><Educational aspects><Educational process of instructing><Educational workshop><Engineering><Environment><Environmental Health><Environmental Health Science><Ethnic Group><Ethnic People><Ethnic Population><Ethnic individual><Ethnicity People><Ethnicity Population><Fear><Feedback><Female><Fostering><Foundations><Fright><Future><Gills><Goals><Health><High School Student><Human><Hydrogen Oxide><Immune system><Individual><Instruction><Interdisciplinary Research><Interdisciplinary Study><Investigators><Jobs><Jordan><Knowledge><Limited English Proficiency><Modeling><Modern Man><Multidisciplinary Collaboration><Multidisciplinary Research><North Carolina><Occupations><PFAS><Persons><Poly-fluoroalkyl substances><Position><Positioning Attribute><Predisposed to COVID-19><Predisposed to SARS-CoV-2><Predisposed to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Professional Positions><Public Health><Racial Group><Recreation><Research><Research Personnel><Researchers><SARS-CoV-2 predisposition><SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility><SARS-CoV-2 vulnerability><Schools><Science><Scientist><Secondary School Student><Secondary Student><Self Efficacy><Series><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 predisposition><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 susceptibility><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vulnerability><Source><Students><System><Systems Biology><Teaching><Thinking><Underrepresented Ethnic Minority><Underrepresented Groups><Underrepresented Minority><Underrepresented Populations><Universities><Water><Water Supply><Workshop><academic preparation><academic readiness><career><class material><classroom environment><college><college atmosphere><collegial atmosphere><collegiate><collegiate atmosphere><community level disadvantage><consumer product><course material><curricular material><design><designing><developmental><disadvantaged community><drinking water><economic disparity><economically disadvantaged><education atmosphere><educational atmosphere><educational environment><ethnic subgroup><ethnicity group><high schoolers><improved><instructional materials><intellectual atmosphere><interest><iterative design><learning atmosphere><learning environment><learning materials><lesson plans><manufacturing facility><manufacturing plants><neighborhood barrier><neighborhood disadvantage><neighborhood-level barrier><neighborhood-level disadvantage><pedagogy><peer coaching><peer instruction><peer led team learning><peer mentoring><peer teaching><perfluorinated alkyl substances><perfluoroalkyl substances><perfluoroalkylated substances><polyfluorinated alkyl substances><polyfluoroalkyl substances><predisposed to Coronavirus disease 2019><production plants><prototype><public engagement with science><public understanding of science><racial population><racial subgroup><school atmosphere><school climate><science education><science educator><science professional><science teacher><summer institute><susceptible to COVID-19><susceptible to Coronavirus disease 2019><susceptible to SARS-CoV-2><susceptible to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><teacher><thoughts><training atmosphere><under representation of groups><under represented groups><under represented people><under represented populations><under-representation of minorities><under-represented minority><underrepresentation of groups><underrepresentation of minorities><underrepresented people><university atmosphere><vulnerable to COVID-19><vulnerable to Coronavirus disease 2019><vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2><vulnerable to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2>