CERTL

It was a busy summer of Best SELF camps across the AHWFB system! We had so much fun working with these students in a number of health care spaces to introduce future career pathways and engage in hands-on STEM activities.

The Best SELF program continues this fall with academic mentorship with the medical students at WFUSOM!

Our Best SELF summer camps are underway for 2024! We have hosted students at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences and here at WFUSOM so far, and we are still looking forward to one more camp at Carolinas College of Health Sciences! The students have had a great time exploring health and STEM career pathways and hearing from faculty and staff about their roles within our organization!

Best SELF Academic Mentorship: Empowering Students for Success

When sixth grade Best SELF participant, Aaliyah, needed assistance with a school project, she knew just who to ask for help – the Project Teach mentors. Best SELF has partnered with Project Teach, a medical student club, for years to support young learners. Aaliyah had been tasked with completing a “Layers of the Earth” project and was able to successfully complete it thanks to guidance and support from Sam, and Anna, both Project Teach volunteers. The mentors helped Aaliyah take pride in her project and elaborate on the content while breaking down the requirements into manageable chunks based on her teacher’s provided rubric.

Aaliyah feels like she can relate to the mentors, and they make learning fun. Getting to see and work with Sam specifically is one of Aaliyah’s favorite parts about coming to Best SELF’s weekly academic mentorship sessions. When Aaliyah was asked about what makes Sam a great mentor, she likes that Sam takes her time and makes sure she really understands the content before moving on. “She’s really funny, awesome, and I’m glad she’s my mentor!” Aaliyah says. Through engaging techniques and personalized attention, mentors work to instill confidence and ignite curiosity in Best SELF students, making every session a rewarding experience.

Aaliyah’s mom, Lesley, a teammate at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is also a big fan of how Best SELF and Project Teach combine to support her as an Atrium teammate and her child’s needs as a developing adolescent. “Best SELF is a remarkable resource for Atrium employees. The program provides consistent support to children academically and inspirationally. The mentors are well versed in all facets of learning, so whatever my daughter has needed, there’s been a resource available. As a parent, Best SELF provides monthly check-ins to see if there are any other obstacles that may be preventing your child from excelling in the classroom. There’s nothing like having young minds exposed to the medical students and opening their eyes to new possibilities.”

Join us in celebrating Aaliyah’s success and the many other students who are empowered through Best SELF.

Register to join the Best SELF program and get your children started on their own journey today!

https://school.wakehealth.edu/education-and-training/center-of-excellence-for-research-teaching-and-learning/programs/best-self/enrollment-form

For the children of AHWFB teammates in grades 5 - 12, CERTL offers a year-round program of academic mentorship and counseling, experiential learning, and a summer enrichment program. This program, Best SELF, promotes student interest and engagement in STEM-related fields while encouraging academic achievement, college preparedness, and healthy behaviors.

Another successful year of Best SELF Academic Mentorship with Project Teach!

As the academic year draws to a close, CERTL is pleased to underscore the time and efforts of the WFUSOM student group, Project Teach, in providing over 300 hours of mentorship to 45 Best SELF students throughout the year. The Best SELF academic mentorship program convenes weekly during the school year, offering tutoring and academic coaching. Participants have the option to attend sessions in-person at BGCME or virtually, engaging with their mentors for one-hour sessions everything Tuesday evening. The 66 Project Teach volunteers provide assistance and feedback on various academic subjects and projects, alongside guidance on organizational strategies and study techniques. We invite you to stay tuned in the upcoming weeks as we share some of the inspiring success stories stemming from this year’s academic mentorship program!

Registration is now open for the next cohort of Best SELF students - sign up today!

For the children of AHWFB teammates in grades 5 - 12, CERTL offers a year-round program of academic mentorship and counseling, experiential learning, and a summer enrichment program. This program promotes student interest and engagement in STEM-related fields while encouraging academic achievement, college preparedness, and healthy behaviors.

https://school.wakehealth.edu/education-and-training/center-of-excellence-for-research-teaching-and-learning/programs/best-self

The CERTL team had so much fun collaborating with the WFUSOM PA program to develop this interactive Interprofessional Event (IPE) for students from a variety of disciplines and schools in the area. Learning about the various roles and responsibilities of their team members and how to communicate with each other effectively while still demonstrating the best patient-centered care were important aspects of solving the case. A big thank you to our instructional designers who put a lot of thought and hours of hard work into creating this student experience!

It was a busy summer of student programs at CERTL! Check out the highlights below and click on the link to learn how to get your students plugged in!

Look for CERTL at the NSTA Conference in Atlanta later this month as they present Inquiry with Impact: A Streamlined Process for IBL!

CERTL’s inquiry-based approach to learning that aims to increase teacher effectiveness through reproducible strategies that engage and motivate students to achieve. In this model, teachers use inquiry-based learning scenarios and embedded lab activities to deliver content in a real-world context that develop students’ critical thinking skills. Opportunities to differentiate and spark student-led discussions are managed through flexible facilitation schedules and playlists using your existing curricula and provided activities. During this workshop, participants will experience a hands-on student inquiry, gain support with customizing their own scenario-based lessons, and receive takeaways.

We hope to see you there!

CERTL is happy to announce their partnership with NCSLA to offer summer PBL workshops in Wilmington and Asheville!

https://mailchi.mp/wakehealth/sign-up-today-for-ncsla-summer-pbl-workshops?e=[UNIQID]

Free PBL Case Bundles to Ignite Imaginations this Summer!

Receive free bundles of PBL cases perfect for summer school engagement and excitement!

https://mailchi.mp/wakehealth/ignite-imagination-this-summer-with-pbl-case-bundles-8253463

We are so happy that our friends at Lakeshore Elementary have been recognized as a STEM School of Distinction! We are honored to have helped them on their journey and have enjoyed following along and seeing their growth! Congratulations to Chris Grace and all of the teachers at Lakeshore! You've worked hard for this and you deserve it!

Perspective | Lakeshore Elementary named a STEM School of Distinction Lakeshore Elementary School in Raleigh has been recognized this year as a STEM School of Distinction in North Carolina.

Apply for a 2021 NC GreenPower Scholar+ Schools grant today! Application is available now through February 28th.

"Any North Carolina K - 12 school may apply for a grant of up to $27,000 toward the installation of an educational solar array. In addition, awardees receive nearly $14,000 in related benefits, including donated SunPower solar modules, a STEM curriculum and teacher training."

NC Green Power | Raleigh NC | Solar Schools Overview | Donate Today Learn how NC GreenPower provides matching grants for the installation of 3-5 kW solar PV arrays at schools, providing clean, green renewable energy in NC.