Serial Passage: AIDS, Race, and Culture. is a 3-4 hour documentary film series and curriculum enhancement that examines the process of scientific inquiry in the development of the serial passage/contaminated needle theory of the origin of HIV/AIDS as well as the disproportionate impact of the pandemic upon Africans and African-Americans. The long term objective of the documentary film series/curriculum enhancement is to foster a heightened awareness of the need for HIV prevention among African-Americans, particularly teenagers, who are at high risk for contracting HIV, and who have often proved unresponsive to traditional HIV prevention messages. African-Americans constitute 12.1 % of the US population but account for almost 50% of the new HIV/AIDS cases. The documentary film series is being made with a small cohort of 20 inner-city African-American high school students in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The students work on the documentary series as footage evaluators, apprentice filmmakers, and will ultimately be its narrative voice. They are also research subjects. An interim evaluation report showed a dramatic increase in the students' perceived knowledge of HIV/AIDS, and a substantial decrease in their reported sexual activity. A widespread and scientifically significant Phase II evaluation of this project would be conducted via pre and post anonymous surveys administered to African-American teenagers, (high school students), and matching control groups. The ABC and PBS networks have already agreed to screen the documentary series for broadcast consideration. The Phase II application proposes to 1) complete editing and postproduction of the documentary series, and 2) work with curriculum writers and an educational video distribution company on the development and dissemination of the documentary series/curriculum enhancement.
Serial Passage: AIDS, Race, and Culture is a multi-part documentary series. The Long-term goals are: 1) to produce a documentary series exploring the specific and devastating impact of H.I.V./AIDS upon Africans and African-Americans; and 2) to create a heightened understanding of the need for H.I.V. prevention among the high-risk group of young, inner-city African-Americans who've so far proved unresponsive to available public health information. Specific Aims: 1) To deconstruct the racial stigma of AIDS, and scientifically confront the conspiracy theories which are firmly linked to the disease in black America, and in Africa; and 2) to work with an inner-city high school science class, actively involving them in the making of the series. Research Design and Methods: 1) To document on film the process of scientific inquiry which led two prominent researchers to their theory on the origin of AIDS; 2) To document on film the social impact of H.I.V/AIDS upon specific African countries, including Uganda and South Africa, and upon African-American communities in the United States; 3) To periodically screen footage of the documentary for the high school class and conduct videotaped discussions between the students and the scientists throughout one academic year; and 4) To give the students a videotaped questionnaire at the beginning and end of the year designed to measure how much they learn about AIDS and its impact upon their particular community.
Hispanic Role Models in Health Careers: Empowering Hispanic Nurses to Leverage Traditional Spanish language and New Social Media to Inspire the Next Generation of Culturally Diverse and Competent Health Care Professionals The National Association of Hispanic Nurses (NAHN), in association with the Hispanic Communications Network (HCN), proposes to address the shortage of bilingual professionals in all health fields by recruiting and interviewing bilingual role models and arranging to broadcast those interviews nationwide. Leveraging HCN's nationally broadcast health education radio shows, whose cumulative audiences are larger than NPR's 'All Things Considered,' this project has the potential to reach one out of every three US Hispanics during its first five years. This media campaign is intended to inspire Hispanic parents to encourage their children to study science and aspire to careers in the biomedical professions. It is also intended to inspire and empower Spanish-speaking adults from all walks of life to consider careers in the health professions. All broadcasts will tie to NAHN's interactive website so that students and adults interested in changing careers can find mentors and educational resources. NAHN will also use YouTube, Facebook, mobile phone applications, and other new and popular social media technologies to reach a broad cross-section of English speaking youth and young adults. In addition to the national media outputs, attendees at NAHN's annual conferences will have the opportunity to receive training in public speaking and media relations so they can more effectively use local media in their own communities to address health disparities and promote careers in the biomedical and health professions. NAHN will develop a standardized, bilingual Toolkit for public presentations. The Toolkit will include a Powerpoint presentation embedded with video containing gender- and other- stereotype-busting role model interviews with Hispanic nurses, links to an online database of volunteer mentors, and a bilingual terminology packet that will aid nurses in creating linguistic and cognitive bridges between audience and professional knowledge bases. We expect that the refined Toolkit will empower nurses and other health professionals to become more effective public health educators and career role models during their presentations at community health events, career fairs, achievement clubs, and school assemblies. An Advisory Committee of other health organizations, professionals, and advocates will recommend Role Models and provide periodic feedback. Bilingual independent evaluators associated with the UC Berkeley School of Public Health will conduct qualitative and quantitative formative, iterative, and summative evaluations throughout the project. Their recommendations and findings will be incorporated into the project design and deliverables and shared with relevant fields.
The Self-Reliance Foundation (SRF) requests Phase II support from NIH for the "Hispanic Role Model and Science Education Outreach Project." The project's goal is to develop daily, nationally broadcast, Spanish-language radio programming which encourages the development of science literacy in relation to biomedical research, introduces careers in biomedical research and other health sciences, and provides parents with information on how their children can achieve academic success. In addition, SRF proposes to support further learning through an 800-telephone number outreach service which links listeners with information and local resources, a related Web site with resources and links related to program topics, and a weekly newspaper column. SRF's daily programs reach a cumulative weekly audience of over two million. Through the proposed three year project, SRF can produce 90 short-form (two to five minute) and six one-hour programs on biomedical research, science education, and careers that will reach over two to three million listeners each week in the U.S. and additional listeners throughout the Western Hemisphere. The radio programs are already broadcast daily or weekly on over 100 Spanish-language stations reaching 80% of U.S. Hispanics. The programs will bring listeners the latest information on biomedical findings and how to use this information in everyday life, inspirational interviews with Hispanic biomedical research scientists, and practical information for students and parents on how to pursue careers at all levels in biomedical research fields and the health professions. Through partnerships with the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), the National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations (COSSMHO), the ASPIRA Association, and other national groups, SRF will identify Hispanic biomedical research scientists and health care practitioners as experts in the development of editorial content of shows and as guests for role model interview shows.
The Self-Reliance Foundation (SRF) Conociendo Tu Cuerpo (Know Your Body) Hispanic Community Health Sciences Education project is an initiative designed to introduce Hispanic students and families to biomedical science and health education resources, and increase their participation levels in these fields. The educational goals of the project are to: (1) Encourage Hispanic undergraduate students to pursue careers in biomedicine and science through a mentoring program at the university level; (2) Inspire an interest in biomedical science among Hispanic elementary-age students and parents through community outreach activities; (3) Inform Hispanic parents about biomedical science education standards and academic requirements for pursuing biomedical and science related careers; and (4) Inform and inspire Hispanic students and their families about the biomedical sciences and related careers through a series of daily nationally broadcast Spanish-language radio capsules, and a nationally syndicated Spanish newspaper column. Conociendo Tu Cuerpo (Know Your Body) includes several key components: A model, Washington, D.C., area coalition of informal science, health, community, education, and media organizations that will publicize and provide hands-on health science activities at community festivals and other community settings; Hispanic undergraduate student health-science fellows to be trained and provided experience in facilitating health science activities; and nationally broadcast Spanish-language radio capsules that will cover topics in areas of biomedicine, research, education, and health-science careers. Parents and students will be able to access additional information about biomedical science opportunities and Hispanic role models in the biomedical sciences through the project's Conociendo Tu Cuerpo website and the bilingual 800 telephone help line promoted by 147 participating radio stations and 102 newspapers nationwide. The project will be supported at the national level through collaboration with the Hispanic Radio Network and the Pacific Science Center. The Washington, D.C., collaborative will include the Capital Children's Museum, local Spanish language radio stations, area universities, and health and community organizations. Development Associates, the largest American education and evaluation consulting corporation, will evaluate the project.