The ATHENA Project
ATHENA stands for the Academy for Teaching about Health and Environment Associations. The overarching purpose of the ATHENA project is to improve secondary education across Washington State by infusing the curriculum that is currently presented in high schools with environmental and occupational health sciences (EOHS) related concepts and content. With support from the UW Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS), CEEH outreach staff will develop and pilot a workshop in the summer of 2010 that will train high school science, health, and career and technical education teachers in the core concepts of EOHS.
Participating teachers will attend workshops to gain the necessary knowledge and skills for helping their students better understand the health risks posed by environmental hazards, including those found in the workplace. We also hope to empower students to make individual and collective behavior changes to protect themselves and their communities from environmental hazards.
The ATHENA project will also provide a unique opportunity for bi-directional capacity building. Participating faculty will have the opportunity to develop educational presentations and materials with the support of trained outreach staff and with feedback from expert teachers. These materials will then be available for the faculty to use with a variety of community audiences who might benefit from learning about their research.
The ATHENA project directly responds to the Washington state legislature’s mandate for universities to serve the community and supports the goals of the UW School of Public Health to promote population health through education and service
ATHENA Goals and Objectives
- Improve understanding of EOHS topics and inquiry-based instruction methods among high school teachers (health, science, and career and technical education) and their students.
- Support DEOHS faculty in fostering their research translation and public engagement skills, thereby enhancing DEOHS outreach efforts.
- Establish and foster connections between DEOHS, UW College of Education, UW Educational Outreach, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington State high schools and build a strong foundation for future funding through spin-off proposals.
For more information about this project, please contact:
Katie Frevert, 206-685-5379, or
Jon Sharpe, 206-685-5333