High school students around the state of Washington have the opportunity to gain college experience and credit in a variety of courses ranging from Computer Science 142 to Global Health 101 through the UW in the High School program. Tami Carabello, a teacher at Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, recently taught the Global Health 101: Introduction to Global Health: Disparities, Determinants, Policies and Outcomes course to her 11th and 12th grade students.
Carabello has been an educator for many years, but her involvement in global health started more recently. After participating in a summer workshop at the Hutch Science Education Partnership eight years ago, Carabello became interested in the global health field. Soon after, she created and implemented a Molecular Biology for Global Health curriculum aimed mostly towards juniors and seniors. For the last two years, she has intertwined the UW Global Health 101 material in to create an interdisciplinary approach to the subject.
“It is an incredible tapestry of science, molecular biology, biotechnology, anthropology, and social justice issues and really emphasizes a systems approach. Students learn that nothing is simple and complexity with flexibility rules,” Carabello said.
Global Health 101 at UW provides an introduction to global health, including: the burden and distribution of disease and mortality; the determinants of global health disparities; the making of global health policies; and the outcomes of global health interventions. With the Advanced Molecular Biology for Global Health/UW GH101 class, Carabello has some flexibility over the 18 week semester allowing students to digest both the science and UW content. This combination helps high school students in and out of the classroom.
“It gives them a sense of the pacing of a college course, reinforces the need to read for critical information, to think in a systems manner, and perhaps to be less judgmental. The idea of going into a country or place to "fix" a problem becomes less of a focus for them. They come away with an understanding that all cultures are relevant and should be respected,” Carabello said.
This past academic year, Eden Lazeolla and David Trey Evans, two students who took the Advanced Molecular Biology for Global Health/UW GH101 course had the opportunity to use their knowledge in the World Affairs Council's 19th Annual World Citizen Essay Contest, which works to advance global understanding and engagement throughout the greater Seattle area. Lazeolla won 2nd place in the 9th-12th grade division for his essay entitled "Using Aquaponics in Africa", and Evans placed 3rd in the 9th-12th grade division for his essay entitled "Good Health and Well-being in India." Evans, who will be attending UW this fall, says the course helped him in making decisions for his education.
“I want a future career in the health field, and the UW Global Health course offered at my high school was a great opportunity to learn about different aspects of health and how it can affect diverse populations around the world. I plan to minor in Global Health and major in Medical Laboratory Science so taking this class helped me solidify my choice in what I wanted to study,” Evans said.
GH 101 is offered at the following Washington state high schools:
Redmond High School
Tesla High School
Glacier Peak High School
Eagle Harbor High School
Pope John Paul II High School
For more information for high schools interested in offering the GH 101 course, contact tfaubion@uw.edu.