Central MS AHEC Partners with the University of Mississippi Medical Center Office of Multicultural Affairs to Host Math and Science Academy

Time: 8:45am - 1:30pm
Place: Brinkley Middle School/6th - 8th Grade
Partner(s): University of MS Office of Multicultural Affairs

The Central Mississippi Area Health Education Center has partnered with the University Mississippi Medical Center Office of Multicultural Affairs to host a Math and Science Academy. The program, which began in January 2011, currently serves 20 students at Brinkley Middle Elementary School. The program is designed to provide academic enrichment in math, science, and critical thinking for disadvantaged/underserved (economically, academically disadvantaged) students. It is a Saturday Institute which serves disadvantaged students in grades 6-8. The Math and Science Academy encourages students to be academically successful and increases their awareness of health careers. The program meets one Saturday each month during the school year. This year’s focus is the human kidney and the program’s partner is the Mississippi Kidney Foundation.

The program will expand to include two new elementary schools and hopes to reach 40 more students in the upcoming year. The program, which is housed within the Tougaloo College Owens Health and Wellness Center, is an affiliate of the Mississippi AHEC Program at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). The MS AHEC program is partially funded by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

Signature Programs:

Youth Health Service Corps – This program creates awareness among middle and high school students about health careers and professions and health issues affecting them and their peers. Youth explore the basics of public health, gain knowledge of health careers and professions and career outlooks, and utilize health information to take better care of their health.

Science Training and Education Program – This program is a collaborative effort with the University of Mississippi Medical Center Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Rural Health and Primary Care. Sixth-eighth grade students are encouraged to be academically successful as well as increase their awareness of health careers. Participants in the program meet one Saturday each month and take courses in math, science, reading, and computer science. The laboratory component of the training provides hands-on practice in understanding various parts of the body.

Community Health Worker Certification Program – This program partners with the Mississippi State Department of Health to standardize the certification of community health workers in the state of Mississippi. Collaborative efforts with state and local organizations are leveraged to define the workforce, their training requirements, and scope of practice.

Chronic Diseases Self-Management Program – This program is in collaboration with the Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Prevention. Individuals living with chronic diseases receive training on how to better manage their health. The training sessions utilize a train-the-trainer model. Central MS AHEC recruits individuals to participate in the trainings as well as conducts six-week workshops to help learn to better manage chronic conditions.