EPI Challenge For You

An Authentic Science Research Experience for High School Students

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Welcome Student Participants and their Coaches


What is the EPI Challenge all about?
It is a “real world” experience for high school students to perform scientific research in their school.

Why epidemiology?
This science discipline helps answer questions about how and why health-related events and behaviors occur in populations. Typically, epidemiology is not taught in high school – but maybe it should be. After all, it uses key principles of science and math that apply to all sciences. It lets students explore interesting subjects related to health and illness. And it is important too, since health issues affect all levels of society in our communities, our country, and worldwide. Some people call epidemiology the science of public health.

How is it a “real world” experience?
It is real because you and members of your team will design and carry out your own epidemiologic study in your school. You will be involved in all the planning steps and study actions, making many decisions along the way. This will be a long-range experience throughout your sophomore year. All of these things imitate how real scientists perform real studies. You will know how it feels to “do” epidemiology and to “think like an epidemiologist.” In so doing, you will experience what it feels like to be a scientist and to think scientifically. That is the goal.

Participating high schools
   Cedar Cliff
   John Harris
   Lower Dauphin
   Middletown
   Science Tech

What is the schedule?
1.  Summer Training: June 23-27, 2014: Working in Teams, learn about the principles and methods of epidemiology and plan/write a study proposal.  [COMPLETED]

2.  Sophomore Year 2014-2015: Epi Challenge Team Meetings: With support of Coaches, finish planning and preparing for your study, carry out the study, analyze and interpret the results, and prepare posters/presentations to communicate your results to others.

3.  Summer Presentations and Gala: June 17-19, 2015: Return to Penn State Medical Center with results from the studies you have performed in your schools. In teams, present your findings to parents, teachers, and public health professionals.