Students Participating in Air Research & Knowledge Translation

. In the western US and Alaska, we are seeing significant increases in the frequency and intensity of wildfires, with smoke impacting both urban and rural communities nearly every summer and fall. Concurrently, children growing up in rural communities in this region face unique challenges and may not have straightforward access to educational experiences that cultivate knowledge and interest in biomedical / translational science and public health careers. With SEPA funding and leveraging an existing network of 26 high schools located throughout rural areas of Montana, Idaho, and Alaska, we will add an additional 20 middle schools as we provide biomedical / translation and public health research opportunities for students to explore topics related to wildfire smoke exposures and resultant health effects. With an evaluation plan consisting of a mixed method design, we will test the overall hypothesis that our program can be successfully utilized in rural areas to increase middle school and high school students’ interest in careers in biomedical / translational research and public health. We will test this hypothesis through three Aims: Aim 1) Facilitate remote learning and biomedical / translational research opportunities for students, Aim 2) Facilitate student learning and career preparation through science communication practices, and Aim 3) Provide teachers professional development to support their delivery of health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure curriculum and facilitate biomedical research within the classroom. With SEPA funding, we intend to provide educational opportunities for a projected 1,200 students each year, with many of these students living in rural areas.