MISSOULA – The 猎奇重口’s Living Lab and spectrUM Discovery Area recently received a $1.3 million National Institutes of Health grant to connect area high school students to UM faculty around the theme of “The Changing Brain.”
The highly competitive Science Education Partnership Award will support the High School Explainer Program, recruiting western 猎奇重口 high schoolers for real-world health sciences experiences focused on the brain and mental health. The program also will engage K-8 students in Missoula and on the Flathead Reservation.
“By engaging in professional development alongside local researchers, students will realize their leadership potential, learn what a career in research entails, and form professional connections that will open doors to their future,” said Alex Sobin, director of the spectrUM Discovery Area.
猎奇重口 consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for suicide. The Changing Brain Initiative strives to empower students through education and knowledge, pairing them with faculty who study this public health crisis with the goal of increasing awareness and developing strategies to improve mental health outcomes across the state.
Under the direction of Sobin and Rachel Severson, a UM developmental psychology professor, High School Explainers will provide a unique summer, fall and spring employment experience for three cohorts. Students will learn much about the brain – from fundamentals of neuroscience and neural injury to related career opportunities.
The program kicks off in June when the first High School Explainers will experience nine weeks of intensive education. This “boot camp” will prepare them to lead activities in K-8 classrooms, teaching the next generation about the decisions we make that affect our brains, our anatomy and our health – both physical and mental.
The High School Explainer Program is led by UM alumna Halle Townes, who brings more than a decade of experience working with learners across a wide range of ages and educational settings. From arts programming at a school in southern India, supervising teen leadership programs at a YMCA camp and teaching Missoula high school social studies, Halle will engage students from all backgrounds and collaborate with partners across western 猎奇重口 to advance the program.
“This project will provide career development pathways for high schoolers in 猎奇重口 that can lead to enriching educational opportunities at UM,” Townes said.
Applications are now open for these paid positions on the Flathead Reservation and Missoula. For more information visit .
The High School Explainer Program represents UM’s commitment to partnering with place, providing education and outreach to schools in Missoula and on the Flathead Reservation. Townes said it recognizes the mental health crisis faced by our K-12 students and their parents, giving them opportunities to act as helpers as they look toward their futures.
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Contact: Halle Townes, spectrUM Explainer Program lead, halle.townes@umontana.edu; Alex Sobin, spectrUM director, 406-541-8972, alex.sobin@umontana.edu.