EPI Challenge For You

Parents' Corner

The United States (US) faces a “gathering storm” in the projected shortage of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals (NAS 2010).

According to a recent report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST 2012), one million new STEM college graduates will need to be added to the US workforce in order to replace retiring professionals and address growing needs. This will require a 34% annual increase in undergraduate STEM degrees over the next decade. Similarly, the Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) estimates that by 2020, the US will be facing a shortfall of more than 250,000 public health workers (ASPH Policy Brief).

“To meet our needs for a STEM-capable citizenry, a STEM-proficient workforce, and future STEM experts, the Nation must focus on two complementary goals: We must prepare all students, including girls and minorities who are underrepresented in these fields, to be proficient in STEM subjects. And we must inspire all students to learn STEM and, in the process, motivate many of them to pursue STEM careers” (PCAST 2010).

The EPI Challenge intervention, a subset of the overall EPIC intervention, is designed to scientifically test the impacts of participating in the EPI Challenge, during which student teams have the experience of conducting epidemiological studies in their schools. The research method is a randomized design to test a hypothesis-driven, project-based learning model among a cohort of approximately 120 rising 9th graders, with follow-up through the 12th grade.

Epi Challenge participants will be guided by Penn State coaches as well as educator-coaches from each of the five participating high schools. The intervention will be based on “Project-based learning (PBL) – explained in the short video below.

References:

National Academy of Science (2010) Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited: Rapidly Approaching Category 5. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (2012) Report to the President: Engage to Excel: Producing one million additional college graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. John P Holdren and Eric Lander, PCAST co-chairs. Executive Office of the President, Washington DC.

http://www.asph.org/userfiles/workforceshortage2008final.pdf

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) (2010) Report to the President: Prepare and Inspire: K-12 Education in Science, Technology, Engineerng and Mathematics (STEM) for America’s Future. Prepublication Version. John P Holdren and Eric Lander, PCAST co-chairs Executive Office of the President, Washingon DC.