OLYMPIA, Wash.-
The Washington State Department of Health’s (DOH) Washington Tracking Network (WTN) is holding its second annual youth science contest this spring.
The WTN Youth Science Contest provides a unique opportunity for high school students across Washington to develop their science and communication skills while working with health and environmental data from their own communities according to a DOH press release.
“In this contest, students learn not only how to work with and study public health data, but also how data can be used to create positive change in their communities, said Jennifer Sabel, WTN manager.
According to the DOH public health is an interdisciplinary field and the contest is designed with different tracks to help students explore different facets of what working in public health is like.
Students participating in the contest can choose from three tracks:
Health Science – students will perform an analysis with WTN data to reveal correlations, impacts, and/or disparities.Community Engagement – students will use WTN tools and data to address health and equity concerns. They will develop either a public policy proposal or work with a local organization to create or improve a project or program.Science Communication – students will identify an issue that is important to them and develop a message to increase awareness or drive action related to the issue.
“Last year students came up with inspiring projects, and I look forward to seeing what students create this year,” said Sabel.
