Chicago EYES on Cancer: Fostering Diversity in Biomedicine through Cancer Research Training for Students and Teachers

Abstract

The National Cancer Institute's Youth Enjoy Science Research Education Program (YES) supports cancer-based research experiences, curriculum development and outreach activities to foster diversity in the biomedical workforce. The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center was among the first recipients of the YES award in 2017, launching the Chicago EYES (Educators and Youth Enjoy Science) on Cancer program for high school and college students. The EYES team also introduced immersive research experiences and mentored curriculum development for high school science teachers, a potentially powerful means to extend science enrichment and career exposure to schools across Chicago. Ongoing evaluation of the EYES program suggests positive outcomes in terms of trainees' research skill development and their knowledge about, and positive attitudes towards, careers in biomedicine. Teacher research fellows reported that the program inspired new insights about science learning and practice that not only strengthened their skills as science educators, but also improved their ability to relate to their pupils. These findings contribute to the broader effort to establish best practices among cancer research training programs, particularly those with a shared mission to empower youth from diverse backgrounds to contribute to a field deeply in need of their talents and perspectives.

Interprofessional Near-Peer Mentoring Teams Enhance Cancer Research Training: Sustainable Approaches for Biomedical Workforce Development of Historically Underrepresented Students

“…Demographic questions included open fields for age, gender, preferred pronouns, and languages spoken other than English. Racial and ethnic groups were measured using REALD ( McGee, 2020 ) and up-coded to NIH inclusion report categories, consistent with measurement approaches for inclusive demographics ( Mekinda et al, 2022 ). Historically underrepresented populations in biomedical sciences were defined using NIH diversity criteria for characterizing underrepresented racial and ethnic groups ( National Institutes of Health, 2019 ), including Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders).…”