OH STEM! Co-Creating a One Health STEM Ecosystem for Rural and Indigenous Alaska Students. - Abstract Expanding the biomedical workforce requires innovative educational approaches that are responsive and relevant to the experiences of young people. In particular, there are unmet needs for biomedical and STEM professionals in small rural and remote communities of Alaska where access to opportunities for academic engagement and advancement are limited. OH STEM! builds on lessons learned in SEPA R25GM129838-01A1 to co-create, with local partners, an ecosystem of learning and research opportunities that are relevant to One Health issues in students’ home communities. These efforts will create a sustainable network that encourages integration of students’ personal, community, and scientific interests, and will result in confidence and resilient students pursuing biomedical and STEM careers. The Goal of OH STEM! is to increase the home-grown biomedical expertise and workforce in remote Southeast Alaska. This goal is supported by three specific aims: AIM 1) Relevance: Implement One Health/STEM curricula that reflects community values, integrates multiple evidence-based approaches to generating scientific knowledge, and promotes student confidence in their ability to contribute meaningfully as scientific researchers. AIM 2) Continuity - Establish a frictionless ecosystem of advancement pathways for rural student scientists. AIM 3) Sustainability - Create an integrated, mutually supportive, and sustainable One Health/STEM network including governments, regional and local research and community institutions, local schools, and University programs. OH STEM! will bring One Health experiences and experts to middle and high school students in remote communities to spark awareness and excitement around STEM education and career opportunities in SE Alaska. Two dual enrollment, variable credit courses: a place-based One Health Research course and a new Data and Quantitative Thinking course will give students the opportunity to earn their first college credits, get matched with a research mentor, and investigate a One Health research question that is meaningful within the unique context of their lifestyle in remote Alaska. By emphasizing collaboration, OH STEM! will facilitate the participation of students in multiple opportunities and scaffold along a continuum from awareness and engagement to preparation, original contribution, and scientific self-efficacy. We will also support the development of Southeast Alaska regional capacity to continue to inspire and train STEM professionals to meet the particular needs of their own communities and contribute their perspectives to the broader community of biomedical researchers.
